


Ribbons and Bows

by 2Shaes



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Bows, F/M, Infidelity, Revenge, Ribbons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-18
Updated: 2014-05-11
Packaged: 2017-11-12 10:07:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 36,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/489684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2Shaes/pseuds/2Shaes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Edward has always had a crush on Leah Clearwater and makes a birthday wish that only she can grant. Who knew his wish would open the door to a different set of complications? Inspired by Emmy's Pervy Picspiration over on the PPSS blog.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is rated M for language and content. I've also thrown canon out of the window, so be prepared to see some of your favorite characters in a different light.
> 
> This started as a drabble, so there's no beta. Please forgive my errors.
> 
> Special thanks to Dontcallmeleelee from Printing Paws for making this awesome banner.

 

 

**One**

 

**  
**

My keys made a loud clang when they landed in the dish by the door.

"Happy Birthday to me," I muttered as I switched on the lights.

I looked at the remains of my condo; the battleground for a failing marriage. I was in the first stages of a messy divorce so the place reflected what was left of my relationship.

Bella Swan and I had been together for six years and married for four. I thought things were great until a wrecking ball ruined my perfect world.

Six months ago, things started to change. She started coming home late from work and leaving early in the morning. She didn't want me to touch her anymore, giving me the excuse that she was tired or had a headache. My internal alarms warned that she might be having an affair, but I put it aside. I'd given her so much. Anything she wanted was hers. Why would she want to leave?

About a month ago, I came home early to the sounds of grunting and heavy breathing. When I stepped into our bedroom, I saw Bella on her hands and knees while her one of her co-workers fucked her from behind. I always knew Riley had had a thing for her, but I guess I didn't see that she felt the same, or that they would act on it. They didn't even notice I was in the room until I loudly cleared my throat. After some awkward explanations followed by some loud yelling, she left.

When I came home the next day, the house was half empty. Some of the furniture was gone as well as my DVD player and my stereo. She even took half of my DVDs.

One thing she left was that butt ugly dining room table, but I think she did that to piss me off. It was shit brown and shaped like a giant egg. It took up most of the room, providing more seats than we needed. The thing cost an arm and a leg, even on a pediatrician's salary. It was specially flown in from Japan, and she insisted that anyone who was anyone had one. Plus she'd heard that Oprah had one in her guest home. It was probably what Stedman had to eat on when he got on her bad side.

I had demanded that she come and take that piece of shit with her or I was going to toss it off the balcony. She quickly made arrangements to have it moved in the morning.

I headed over to the phone and dialed my voicemail. As it began to ramble, I loosened my tie and grabbed a Heineken from the fridge.

"Hi, honey!" It was my mother. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart! I hope you had a great day so far, and don't worry, honey. This year will be so much better than the last. You father says happy birthday, too. We love you!"

The phone clicked off, and the next message played. "Hey, man!" It was my best friend, Jacob Black. He was on his honeymoon with his new bride, soaking up the sun on the beaches of Hawaii. "I bet you thought I forgot! Angie and I want to wish you a Happy Birthday!"

"Happy Birthday, Edward!" Angela screamed in the background.

"When I get back in town, we're going out, man, and we're going to get you good and laid!"

"Jake!" I heard Angela admonish in the background.

"Alright, I'll talk to you later!" The phone clicked off.

Leaning against the counter, I listened to three more messages, two were birthday wishes: one from my brother, Emmett, and the other from my sister, Alice. The third message was from Bella reminding me to be available at 9AM the next day.

A low knock sounded, and I placed my beer down. After looking through the peephole, I quickly opened the door.

"Leah?" I was surprised to see her. She was dressed in a white trench coat, which seemed a little much for the weather. Sure, it was a little windy outside, but nothing that warranted that type of clothing.

"Happy Birthday, Edward," she said, leaning forward to hug me.

"Thanks," I said, breathing in her scent. Leah Clearwater had been a crush of mine for years. I'd met her through my best friend, Jacob Black. They grew up together and were practically brother and sister so whenever I hung out with him, sometimes I ran into her.

She was still as gorgeous as ever. She'd made a drastic move and cut off her long, silky black hair. It brushed her chin, drawing all attention to her beautiful skin, and the sensual curve of her neck. Jacob told me that Sam had had a fit, but I loved it. She loved it, too.

"Come in." I waved her inside. "Can I take your coat?"

"No!" she practically shouted. "I mean, I'm fine for the time being."

"Okay." I held my hands up. "You want something to drink?"

"No thank you," she said fidgeting with her pockets and pulling out a silver key. "Jacob called and asked me to give this to you. He wanted to make sure you got it before you moved out."

"Thanks," I said. Jacob had had a spare key to my condo just in case I'd gotten locked out or if there was an emergency and I was out of town.

"I also came to give you your birthday present." She took a deep breath and began unbuttoning her coat. My eyes widened as the coat slid off her arms. The coat hit the floor and my jaw followed. She was naked, except for a red ribbon covering her breasts and her sex. She slipped off her shoes and stood barefoot in front of me.

"What…" I started, and wiped the drool from my mouth as she shifted back and forth. It was a nervous reaction, but it made the ribbon slide over her deeply tanned skin. Her body was toned from years of running marathons, but still held the curves of woman. Curves I was dying to take a ride on.

I turned around quickly so I could think. Staring at her naked body was muddling my thoughts. Her soft footfalls sounded behind me, moving to the beat of my heart. When I turned around, she was standing in front of me with her hands behind her back, making her glorious breasts strain against the fabric. They wanted out, and I wanted to set them free.

"This is what you wanted." As she stepped closer, it felt like my feet were glued to the floor. I stared at her and tried to figure out how she knew my secret fantasy. "Don't you remember?" She stood in front of me and gently placed her hands on my chest, the warmth from them radiating through my body. She was a tall woman at five ten, with long legs, so the top of her head reached my nose.

I shook my head as the scent of apples wafted from her hair.

She giggled and placed a gentle kiss on my neck. "Remember Jake and Angela's wedding reception two weeks ago?"

I looked up at the ceiling as I searched my memory bank. Since my estranged wife was spending time with her new boyfriend, my date was the endless bottles of champagne.

_Jacob and Angela were on the dance floor, waltzing to their first dance as husband and wife. At Angela's request, they had taken ballroom dancing classes together. Jacob, who had two left feet in high school, suddenly looked like he could compete professionally._

_Others had joined in, and before I knew it, the entire dance floor was filled with couples. To really get the party started, the DJ changed the music to something a little more upbeat._

_"Hi, Edward," I heard a female voice that had visited my dreams lately. Once Bella was out of the picture, Leah was all I could think about. I thought about Leah in ways I shouldn't of a married woman._

_"Hi, Leah," I answered her. She was absolutely breathtaking in her pale blue bridesmaid's dress. It was long with spaghetti straps and ran the length of her body, sensually hugging her curves. One side of her freshly cut hair was held back with a light blue flower. Her makeup was simple, just enough to accent her beautiful face._

_Leah Clearwater Uley was married to one of the most arrogant assholes I'd ever met. Back in high school, Sam Uley was nothing but a thug, a bully who had to prove how big his dick was by being one. A man like that didn't deserve Leah. He didn't deserve shit!_

_"Why are you sitting here by yourself?" she asked, taking a seat next to me._

_"I'm a little drunk, Leah," I replied, watching the crowd of people show off their breakdance moves. My brother Emmett was already spinning on his head. "I think that's a turn off for most women."_

_"You're a lot drunk," she corrected and grabbed one of the glasses on the table. "Here, drink a little water. It may keep the hangover away."_

_I did as I was told, sipping the water slowly. Deciding that water didn't have the taste to please me, I switched back to my champagne. She giggled at my defiance._

_"So why aren't you on the dance floor?" I nudged her shoulder. "You could show them how it's done. You do an awesome robot."_

_"I don't have anyone to dance with," Leah said. She looked away as she fiddled with the chain around her neck. "I have no idea where my husband is."_

_"Oh," I replied. I knew that feeling all too well. "Well, you wanna dance with me? I can't promise that I won't step on your foot, but I can dance to the beat."_

_A smile replaced her sad expression, and she took my outstretched hand. Holding her hand, I lead her to the dance floor. By the time we got there, the music switched back to a slow song. She gave me a coy smile and rested her hand on my shoulder. My other hand eased to the small of her back, cradling her close as her hand held mine. I swayed her to the soft ballad, and she followed me easily._

_"So, Leah," I said, looking into her dark brown eyes. "How is school going this year?"_

_"So far, so good." She nodded her head. "Teenagers think they know everything, and that teachers don't know anything." Leah taught literature at the local high school._

_"You remember being a teenager, right?" I chided playfully. "And all the trouble you got into?" She smiled sheepishly and looked down at my tie as I continued. "I remember a certain teenager who came up with the idea to put Kool-Aid in not only the swimming pool, but the Jacuzzis in the locker rooms for our senior prank."_

_"I have no idea what you're talking about." She avoided my eyes, but a deep blush gathered into her cheeks._

_"Yeah, I bet you don't know anything about that." I released her and spun her around, then pulled her back toward me._

_"Hey!" She lightly hit my arm. "I remember a certain redhead suggesting that we get the cherry flavored mix because it would make the water look like blood."_

_"I plead the fifth!" I exclaimed, and we both chuckled. We'd had a good time in high school. She was so lively, like a firecracker waiting to be lit. Most guys wanted to date her, including me. But she only saw me as Jacob's best friend._

_"How are you doing?" she asked with a serious expression._

_"I'm okay." I smiled humorlessly. "Considering my soon-to-be ex-wife was cheating on me."_

_"I'm so sorry about that," she said. "You're a good man, Edward. That bitch doesn't deserve you, anyway."_

_I raised an eyebrow at her tone. She'd never liked Bella Swan, but she'd always been civil about our relationship._

_"God, you're so wasted." She grabbed my chin so she could glare into my eyes. "How much champagne have you had?"_

_"Too much," I slurred, and she gave me a reproachful look. "Don't worry. Emmett said he would give me a ride home."_

_"Good. I don't want to hear about you wrapping your car around a tree because you were too drunk to drive." Her tone was completely serious._

_"I know better." I looked at her with the same grim expression so she knew I wasn't kidding either. Before I became a full time pediatrician, I'd completed my rotation in the ER and saw too many accidents involving drunk drivers._

_"So, your birthday is coming up. What do you want?" She moved her hand from my shoulder to back of my neck._

_"World peace," I answered with a chuckle. The truth was, I had what I wanted in my arms._

_"I'm serious!" she scolded, although there was a small smile on her face. "What's one thing you want for your birthday? I know you've been through a lot lately, so I'd like to get you something special."_

_"You really want to know?"_

_"Yes. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."_

_I stared at her beautiful brown eyes, and the filter that I'd placed on my mouth was suddenly gone. Pulling her close, I whispered in her ear, "I want you, Leah. Just you wrapped in a pretty red bow and nothing else."_

_Her eyes widened at my request, and I wondered if I said too much. She was married after all._

_"I'm sorry," I said hastily. "That was the champagne talking." The song ended, and she slipped from my arms. My heart fell as I watched her scurry to the women's restroom. I'd done it! I'd stuck my foot in my mouth. After Jacob and Angela left for their honeymoon, I'd found Emmett and begged him to take me home._

"This is what you wanted," Leah reminded me, as her fingers pulled my dress shirt out of my pants. "Here I am, in a red bow, ready for you to unwrap and play with."

"Wait!" I said, placing my hands on her shoulders to stop her. It seemed to be the safest place to touch her. "You're married. What about Sam?"

"Sam doesn't even know I'm gone," Leah said with bitterness. "He's too busy fucking my cousin."

In all my years of knowing Leah, I'd never heard her speak like that. Looking at her now, she looked different. Leah had always been confident and a little stubborn, but there was something else there. She looked fierce, defiant, and didn't that just make her sexier.

I'd heard the rumors about Sam being a little too close to Emily Young, but there was no solid proof, so I never mentioned it. Thinking back on my own situation, I wished someone had said something to me, rumor or not.

"So this is revenge for you." My tone was meant to be forceful, but her lips running over my Adam's apple took that away.

"No," she said, looking at me. "This is me giving you a birthday present. Don't you like it?" She stood back, and modeled for me. As she turned around, I saw that the ribbon tied into a perfect bow, with the strands hanging over her ass; the round, perfect ass that I'd wanted to get my hands on for years.

"I love my gift," I admitted as she moved forward to unbutton my shirt. "But…"

"But what?" she retorted, placing her finger over my lips. "No one has to know but you and me."

"You need to know that once I get my hands on you, I'm not going to be able to stop myself. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Completely," she said as she stepped up on her toes so her lips brushed against my ear. "And I don't want you to. Do you want me to beg, Edward?" After she pushed my shirt off my shoulders, she whispered, "Please, Edward. Please fuck me."

Before my shirt even hit the floor, my arms were around her, and I was kissing her.

Sam was an arrogant ass hat, and he was cheating on her anyway. Yeah, two wrongs didn't make a right, but I was extremely horny, and the woman of my dreams was standing in front of me. She was what I wanted, and it was my birthday.

Kissing Leah Clearwater had been on my wish list for years, but I never thought how thrilling it could be. As my lips made contact, the warmth from them saturated my own; I needed more. Her lips were so soft, so sweet.

I kissed her fiercely, passionately, like I was an alcoholic, and she was the last drop of the wine in the city. My hands drifted down to those beautiful cheeks, and I took handfuls in my palms. She sighed in my mouth, but I didn't let up. Her hands went to my hair, pulling me closer to her, and I parted her lips, probing her mouth in every nook and cranny I could reach.

We moved out of the kitchen, walking her backward until she hit that awful dining room table. She snapped away from me, and I just moved my kisses down her neck instead.

"God, this is an ugly table," she commented as I sucked on the delicate skin of her neck. "Where the hell did you get it?"

"Bella picked it out," I said against her neck.

"She has horrible taste," she retorted.

"Well, I think I can find a good use for it." She laughed as I laid her down. With her half naked body lying across it, the table didn't look so bad. In fact, it became the most beautiful piece of furniture in my condo. Taking her lips in mine, I lowered down until my bare chest landed on the soft padding of her breasts. I sucked on her bottom lip, then her top lip, grazing my teeth over them.

My kisses trailed down her skin to her neck, then her collarbone, and I sat up and looked at the ribbon covering her bosom. Very slowly, I uncovered the red ribbon revealing her lovely breasts. She was the perfect size, full and perky, but not too big. Two very erect nipples stared back at me. They were dark brown and looked scrumptious, like Hershey's Kisses.

My mouth latched onto on one, swirling my tongue around the stiff peak. One of her legs wrapped around my waist, her heel digging in to my lower back, urging me on.

"Oh, that feels good," she moaned as her fingers dug into my hair. Watching her reaction, I lightly bit the tip and a she moaned again. Her hips rolled underneath me, brushing the heat of her center over my stomach.

I massaged her other breast with my hand, paying special attention to her nipple. She was squirming underneath me, whispering my name over and over again. I sat up and looked at her body lying on top of my dining room table. Her skin was flushed, her lips were swollen, and her short hair was in disarray.

"You like your present?" she said softly as she ran her hands up and down my chest.

"I love it." I trailed my fingers down the alleyway between her breasts, down to her taut stomach, and settled on her thigh. I grabbed her leg and lifted it onto the table. I did the same with the other, keeping my eyes on her.

Pushing the part of the ribbon covering her sex upward, I found her secret haven. Her breath hitched as I pulled her legs apart. "Relax, baby." She was a little nervous, but the trust she had in me spoke volumes. There was no resistance, just confidence in what I was doing.

She was bare there, not even the landing strip that most women had. As I examined her closer, I saw she was dripping with need and anticipation.

"God, you're beautiful," I sighed, running a finger up and down her slit. "So beautiful."

It would have been polite to ask, but I didn't. Once again, it was my birthday, and this was what I wanted. I leaned down, taking a long swipe with my tongue up her slit. She shivered underneath my movements, and I looked up at her. Her eyes zoned in on me, and I did it again. Her breathing picked up as I spread her legs a little wider. She tasted so sweet and tangy; I had to have more. My tongue found every crevice, every cranny, it could. Her fingers weaved into my hair, pushing me to where she wanted me to go. Once I reached there, her grip tightened on my hair, and her hips began to roll.

"Oh, God!" she shouted. I put my full concentration on that area and suddenly, she was thrashing underneath me. Her moans became louder, then suddenly she became quiet. I opened my eyes and saw her face contort into such exquisite pleasure, and then she cried out as she came.

As she came down from her high, I kissed her inner thighs, then her pubic bone, then worked my way up until I was at her neck. She quickly leaned up and grabbed my face. Taking my lips in her mouth, she sucked every bit of her essence from my lips. My cock jumped, straining to get out and dip inside her hot center. That had to be the hottest thing a woman had ever done to me.

I pulled her away, as she smiled at me. While my mouth hung open, she unfastened my pants. As my pants fell down, she dropped her hand inside, slipping underneath my boxers.

"Fuck…" I muttered as she rubbed my steadily growing erection. Her hand was so warm.

"You like that?" she whispered against my lips.

"Oh, yeah," I murmured, as she pulled me out of my boxers so she could get a better grip on me, rubbing her thumb over the tip. I was moments away from coming, so I slowed her hand.

The pout she gave me was incredibly cute.

I eased her on her stomach with that delicious ass in the air. It was a piece of art, something that she should be proud to show off. My hands grazed over the smooth flesh.

I leaned down, pressing my chest against her back. The curve of her rear fit nicely against me. My dick brushed the inside of her thigh, causing her to shiver again.

"Don't move," I commanded and kissed down the knobs of her spine.

"Okay," she whispered.

I kicked of my pants, along with my shoes and adjusted my boxers. Then I ran to my bedroom to get a condom. A sudden feeling of dread ran over me when I realized that I didn't have any. It had been a long time since I'd been intimate with someone. A light bulb clicked, and I searched for the gift bag that I got from Jacob's bachelor's party. Even though Jacob protested that man don't give gift bags, Alice insisted.

Luckily I didn't have to look hard. It was on the floor near the window. Inside were a string of blue packages that read Trojan on the front.

"Thank God!" I kissed the little blue packages.

When I got back to the dining room, I found Leah in the same spot, her upper body over the table with that gorgeous ass in the air. My dick twitched as she smiled at me from the table.

"Miss me?" I asked, running my hand through her short hair.

"God, yes," she whimpered. I knew she was just as turned on as I was, but I wanted to hear her beg again. My body pressed against hers again, and she sighed.

"Do you want me to fuck you now?" I asked, nibbling on her ear.

"Yes, Edward," she sighed as I rubbed my erection against her thigh. "Please, Edward. Please, fuck me. Now!"

The urgency in her voice was all I needed. Quickly, I removed my boxers and tossed them to the side. I slipped the condom on and lined myself up with her drenched entrance. I wasn't huge, but I wasn't small either. Above average is the best way to describe it. I decided to take my time.

As her breathing picked up, I slowly slid inside. Her soft flesh gave way, welcoming me like a longtime friend. She was so damn tight and warm. Small whimpers escaped from her lips as her body accepted me. Once completely inside, I froze for a moment. I wanted to give her a chance to adjust, not to mention the sensations firing in my dick were about to make me come. She just felt so damn good.

I pulled out and pushed back in a little faster. Together, we created a perfect rhythm. She met each one of my thrusts with her own, squeezing me within her tight walls. Still moving, I leaned down, sliding my arms underneath hers, pressing my chest against her back.

"That feel good?" I placed gentle kisses on her neck.

"Uh-Huh," she sighed and turned to look back at me as best she could. "Faster, please."

I stood up, and did as she asked, pumping at a faster rate. I watched her back and hips undulate with mine, the miles of caramel skin sliding over her muscles. Then I saw my dick disappearing in her flesh, underneath that sweet ass of hers and knew I wouldn't last much longer. I started to seriously fuck her, each one of my thrusts causing the table to scrap across the floor.

"Oh, God," she screamed. "Right there, right there!"

I was close, and I wanted her to come with me, so I slipped my hand down her stomach and teased her clit. She grew quiet again, then she screamed, squeezing my cock inside her warm crevice.

"Fuck!" I shouted. My orgasm shot of me like a cannon. I had never in my life come so hard. One of my hands gripped the table to steady me as my cock pulsed. Once I pulled out of her, I felt a chill come over me. I wanted to be back inside of her where it was warm and cozy.

Stepping away, I disposed of the condom and watched Leah slowly lift herself from the table. The red ribbon hung lazily over her body, clearly not covering her private parts anymore, and her hair was a chaotic tangle on top of her head. She looked so sexy, and I knew that I wanted her again. Another thing I noticed, her face held no regrets.

Honestly, I didn't regret it either. I reminded myself that she was married, but I still couldn't feel bad about it. I'd been in her shoes, and everyone dealt with betrayal in their own way. Leah's was to get a little revenge, and I was happy to help her do it.

"Happy Birthday, Edward," she said, pushing her bangs out of her eyes.

I walked toward her, pulling her to her feet by the ribbon. "Thanks, Leah." I kissed her cheek. "Best birthday ever."

"I'm glad." She started to walk away when I grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?" I asked, pulling back toward me. "My birthday doesn't officially end until midnight."

That impish smile graced her lips again, and I kissed her long and deep. Grabbing the condoms off the table, I took her hand and headed to my bedroom.

The next morning, I woke up with a pleasant ache in my muscles. We'd fucked all over the room. Against the wall, on the bed, and I'd come with a fire each and every time. Leah was everything I'd hoped for and more. I never knew she was so sexual, and I doubted that Sam had any clue or else he wouldn't be cheating on her.

The rising sun beamed over her body, making her skin shimmer as she slept peacefully. She was still gloriously naked, which only increased my morning wood.

I felt something tickle me, and I looked down at the red ribbon laying over my stomach. I'd finally gotten that thing off her, officially opened my present and then some.

She moaned and then opened her eyes.

"Hey," I whispered, pushing her hair out of her face.

She smiled sheepishly at me. "Hi." A little grogginess hung in her throat, making that small word sound like it should be a part of some sexy phone call. She moved toward me and nestled in my embrace.

"You're so warm," I commented in her hair as her hands came around my waist.

She laughed. "I'm weird like that, I guess."

"So is Sam expecting you home?" I asked into her hair.

"Last night he told me he had a meeting that would probably run late, so he'd grab a room at a hotel for the night." She tensed in my arms. "I know what kind of  _meeting_  that requires a room."

My fingers danced up and down her spine to help soothe her. She relaxed as she nuzzled into my chest.

"Are you sorry you came here?" I asked tentatively.

"Nope," she said, squeezing my waist. "Sam's out there not giving a damn about me. Why can't I have a night when I don't give a damn about him? I had fun last night, and it felt good."

"Sure did." I chuckled. "It felt  _real_  good."

She lightly hit me as a giggle escaped her lips. It was beautiful; I loved hearing her laugh.

A sudden knock at the door silenced both of us. We sat still, holding each other and waited. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out who it was. Jacob was still in Hawaii. Maybe Emmett or my parents? The knock sounded through the condo again.

"Stay here, okay," I said and kissed her forehead. She nodded as I stood up. I grabbed pair of sweats and opened the door. "I'm going to lock this, just in case."

"Okay." She held the sheet protectively around her body. I click the door shut and checked that the door was locked.

That incessant knocking continued as I looked around the living room. My clothes were still scattered all over the floor, and I hurriedly threw them on the couch.

"Geez, hold on!" I screamed.

After checking the peephole, I pulled to door open. The two men standing behind the door stared at me, wondering why I hadn't gotten there sooner.

"It's about time!" one of the men said. "I don't have all fucking day!"

"What the hell do you want?" I kept the door slightly closed.

"We came to pick up the dining room table," the other said in a bored tone. "Bella Swan said that her dining room table was here."

I turned around and looked at the table. The memories of me and Leah on top of the table flashed in front of my eyes.

They moved to go around me, but I didn't let them through. "You know what? Tell Bella I've changed my mind. I'm keeping the table."

"What?" they shouted together.

"Yep, I'm keeping the table. And if she doesn't like it, she can talk to my lawyer." With that I slammed the door.

I laughed loudly and headed back to my room. Knocking lightly on the bedroom, I said, "Leah? It's me."

I heard some rustling, then the locked clicked. She opened the door with the sheet wrapped around her.

"Who was it?"

"Moving people for the dining room table," I answered as I stepped inside. "Bella finally sent someone to get it"

"Well, no offense, but it is kinda ugly." She adjusted the sheet around her body.

"I kept it," I answered smugly.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because." I placed my hands over hers to pull the sheet free. "Every time I see that table, I'll think of you." The sheet fell to the floor, revealing her beautiful body. "You know, I still have one condom left."

"Really?" she said as I kissed her neck. "Well, we shouldn't let it go to waste."

"You're right," I said, pulling her toward the bed.


	2. Two

 

**Two**

 

**  
**

It wasn't until I pulled away from Edward's condo that the gravity of what I'd done really hit me. Driving down the street as the sun broke through the horizon, I realized that I'd cheated on my husband, something I promised in front of my family and friends that I would never do.

Since I'd only showed up on Edward's doorstep in a trench coat and strategically placed red ribbon, Edward was nice enough to let me borrow a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. His scent swam around me, saturating my pores, reminding me of the night we shared.

The first thing I did when I got home was head for the shower. I had to get as much of Edward off me as possible before Sam got home. As the too-hot spray soaked me, I thought about what I'd done. Had I been too impulsive? Even when I was younger, I'd done things before thinking them through. But I was upset. No, scratch that! I was fucking pissed! Sam was fucking Emily, my cousin and one of my closest friends. She looked me right in the face and comforted me whenever Sam and I had a fight when she knew he would run to her. I wanted to get back at Sam and the memory of Edward's wish came to mind. The rest, as they say, was history.

I'd known Edward since I was young when his family moved into town. Once he became friends with Jake, they'd been inseparable, even though Jacob was a year younger than him.

Now that I was home, the thought of confronting Sam sent a tremor of fear up my spine. The fact was Sam had ahold of my soul. There was a large part of me that couldn't let him go. We'd been together for so long. He was my first and only. That had to mean something, right?

But Edward had awakened something within me that night. God, I couldn't believe the things that we did. I still felt his slim fingers sliding over my body, calling upon the orgasms that had been dormant for years. I'd never felt so desired, so sexual in my life. Sam never made me feel like that. With Sam, it was all routine and we only played by his rules. Missionary was our staple and anything outside of that was a rarity. But Edward was different. Thinking about Edward, the way he smiled crookedly as he loomed over me, the look of pleasure that took over when he released got my blood pumping again.

The water ran cold, so I took that as I sign and stepped out of the shower. I quickly dried off, wrapped the towel around me, and gathered Edward clothes had headed to the bedroom.

"Hey," my husband's voice said from the bed. All of the air escaped from my lungs and I dropped the clothes on the floor. I hadn't even heard him come in.

"Whoa, honey." He held his hands up. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't scare me." I laughed nervously as I adjusted my towel.

Sam stood up and helped me pick up my dirty clothes. Edward's clothes. "Did you go running this morning?" Sam examined the t-shirt and sweats.

"Um, yeah," I answered quickly, pushing a wet strand of hair out of my eyes.

He nonchalantly dumped the clothes in the laundry basket and turned toward me. He was still dressed in the same work clothes that he wore when he left yesterday morning: a pale blue shirt with navy pants; his discarded tie lay on the bed.

"I had a busy night, but I got a lot of things done." He loosened the button of his shirt and that's when I saw it; a small red mark just below his collar. He'd been with  _her_  last night.

After that, I didn't feel so bad. After all, while he was out sleeping with my cousin, I was having the best sex of my life with someone who wanted to have sex with me.

I headed to the closet and grabbed my robe. Wearing just a towel around Sam made me feel uncomfortable. Then I headed to the dresser to grab some of my under garments. His presence loomed over me and I looked up at him through the mirror.

"Baby," he cooed, pressing his body against mine. "What's your hurry?" His hand eased inside the flap of my robe, gently caressing my nipple. The traitorous bud hardened in his palm as he pressed his growing erection in my lower back.

The last thing I wanted to do was have sex with Sam. It was hard to get aroused, knowing that he would only be thinking about Emily. Besides, the memory of Edward still lingered in my mind. God forbid I called out the wrong name.

Easing his hand out of my robe, I pulled away. "Sam, I'm meeting Rose in a little bit."

"You can be a little late, right?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "We can make it a quickie."

"No, I really have to get ready," I insisted. "She doesn't like it when I'm late." Truthfully, Rose wouldn't care. She wasn't petty like that.

Just like the click of a light switch, Sam's attitude went from playful to irritated. "Fine. I'm going to be late again tonight, so don't wait up."

With that he headed into the shower.

I took that opportunity to get dressed and head out.

~*oOo*~

I found my best friend, Rosalie, sitting near the door under one of Starbuck's green umbrellas chatting away on her cellphone. It was a beautiful day, a few clouds in the sky but nothing that could compete with the sun.

Once she saw me, she hurriedly ended her call and waved me over. "Hey, Leah. How are you?"

Rosalie Hale was my best and oldest friend. I'd first met her in kindergarten when she borrowed my carnation pink crayon and broke it. She argued with me, saying that it was already cracked and that was why it broke, but the next day she showed up with a pack of 100 crayons, including Carnation pink that she conveniently let me have.

Back then she was a cute little girl, but as she grew so did her beauty. She really was one of the most beautiful women in the world. Long blond hair fell over her shoulders, the ends curling slightly and bright blue eyes that glistened like crystals in the sunlight. Men followed her around like lost puppies.

Her father was a successful business man who owned a few luxury dealerships around town. Rosalie worked for him as the Operations Manager in one of the service centers. She had a twin brother, Jasper Hale who wanted nothing to do with the family business. He spent most of his time writing music and playing in his band. They really were good and on the verge of making it big any day.

"I'm great." I set my things in the empty chair next to me and took a seat. "What about you?"

"Fine," Rosalie said, eyeing me strangely. "Did you go to the spa or something?"

"No," I said shyly, shifting in my seat to get comfortable. "Why?"

"You're glowing." Rosalie ran her eyes over me.

"Am I?" I nervously ran my fingers through my short hair.

"You're brighter than a glow stick in the middle of a rave." Rosalie studied me closer.

A giggle I couldn't control escaped. I was still flying high from the amazing night of orgasms provided by Edward Masen.

"Okay, spill it!" Rosalie said, crossing her arms over her chest. "What the hell is going on?"

"What?" I said, casually throwing my hands up. "Isn't it possible that I'm just in a good mood?"

"The last time you were like this, I'd bought you that vibrator for your birthday," Rosalie said a little too loud for my liking.

"Geez, Rosalie," I said looking around. "Can you not tell everyone about that?"

"Sorry." She lowered her voice. "Tell me! Did Sam finally think about your feelings instead of his own?"

"No, no." I shook my head. "It wasn't Sam."

Rosalie nearly choked on her hot coffee and exclaimed, "What do you mean it wasn't Sam?"

I quickly looked at the lattice patterned table as I thought about a way to get out of this.

"What do you mean it wasn't Sam?" Rosalie repeated as she grabbed my arm. "Are you telling me it was the vibrator or…"

I took a deep breath. The truth was I was dying to tell someone what I'd done. I couldn't tell Rachel. We were close, but marriage to her was sacred, and she'd tell me that something stupid about a "man being a man". I was so not in the mood to hear that.

"Alright, listen." I stared at my best friend with as much seriousness as I could muster. "You cannot tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. I mean it, Rose."

She crossed her fingers over her heart. "It goes in the vault, I promise."

"I need to ask you something first. And don't blow smoke up my ass. I want the truth."

"Lee, when have you even known me to blow smoke up your ass? If we can't be honest with each other, then who can we be honest with?"

"Yeah, you'd think so," I muttered and Rosalie narrowed her eyes at me. "Did you know that Sam was cheating on me?"

Rosalie stared at her Jimmy Choos. "Emily, right?"

"You knew?" I said, feeling my anger rise.  _How many people knew and why didn't anyone tell me?_

"I wasn't certain," Rosalie said quickly. "I didn't want to say anything unless I knew for sure. There was something about the way he always talked to her, how close they were, and how they were always away at the same time."

I couldn't blame her for that. I would have jumped off the highest bridge for Sam. Knowing me, I probably wouldn't have believed her, which is probably why she wanted to be sure before telling me.

"How did you find out?" Rosalie passed her coffee cup from one hand to the other.

"Remember when I couldn't find Sam at Jake and Angela's wedding?"

"Yeah?"

"I found them." The words came out like I'd tasted something bad. "They were in the one of the rooms in the back. I'd heard noises and went to check it out. That's when I saw Emily pinned to the wall with her legs around his waist. Her dress was around her waist and Sam's pants was around his ankles."

"Oh, Lee." Rosalie reached over and patted my hand. "I'm so sorry. Did you confront Sam?"

"No," I answered with all sorts of shame in my voice. "They didn't even know I was there so I closed the door and pretended like I didn't see anything." I stared down at my fingers feeling like a complete fool.

This happened with my mother. Harry Clearwater had been cheating on my mother for years and she looked the other way. He left her eventually for the women who became pregnant with his child. I'd always promised that I would never let that happen to me, and here I was pretending like my marriage wasn't falling apart for the same reasons.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Rose asked me as she still held onto my arm.

I shrugged. "I guess I was embarrassed. Then I went through denial, felt betrayed and finally made it to anger. Do you know what pissed me off the most?

Rosalie shook her head.

"It wasn't the fact that my husband was cheating on me. It wasn't the fact that the skank he was sleeping with was my cousin. It was the fact that Sam never did anything that exciting with me. Do you know the wildest thing we've done was have sex in the back seat of his Dodge, which had to be the worst sexual experience of my life. You know what it's like for two tall people to squeeze in backseat of a Dodge Neon?"

"So, who is this guy that you cheated with?" Rosalie picked up her coffee again. "And a least tell me it was worth it."

"Oh yeah." I smiled thinking about that night. "So worth it."

"Well, who is he? Was it Paul Lahote? He's always staring at your ass."

"No." I shook my head adamantly. "Paul's been around the block so many times, you could paint him yellow and give him a sign that said 'TAXI'."

"Please don't tell me it's one of your students." Rosalie set her drink down and looked me sternly in the eye. "Listen Leah, they're just boys and not worth losing your career over."

"No, Rose," I said and couldn't help but laugh. "It was Edward."

Rosalie's brow crinkled as she thought about what I said. "Edward Masen, Jacob's little friend?"

"Edward is far from little," I commented with a smile.

"Well, how was it?" Rosalie asked.

"It was…he was…" I bit my lip as heat began climbing up my cheeks. There just weren't words that could describe the feelings he ignited within me.

"What?" Rosalie exclaimed impatiently. "Too small? Didn't know what he was doing?"

"Rose." I involuntarily shivered. "For lack of a better word, he was perfect. He took me places I'd never gone and we fit so perfectly. Who would have thought that the kid with whose head was larger than his body would turn out to be such a great looking man."

"Alright start from the beginning and don't leave anything out."

So I told her everything. How I showed up at his condo practically naked for his birthday gift, how much sex we had, and how I'd never felt had so many orgasms in my life.

Rosalie stared at me for a few moments, then said, "I cannot believe you showed up on his doorstep wrapped in ribbon. That's something I would do."

"Where did you think I got the idea?" I looked at her knowingly and Rosalie just smiled.

"And Edward Masen rocked your world?" Rosalie looked at me dubiously.

"We did things I'd only read about. Things that made me blush, but so turned on. Sam has never excited me the way he did."

A memory abruptly invaded my senses.

_It was quiet and still in the living room. The only light came from the open door of the bedroom. While Edward was on the phone trying to calm down an anxious new mother, I decided to get something to eat._

_The floor was cold under my feet as I made my way to the kitchen. I was still naked except for the red ribbon tied around my waist and dragging on the floor behind me. The light from the refrigerator spilled out on the kitchen floor as I searched for food. Apparently, mind blowing sex gave me the munchies._

_It was pretty bare, some leftover Chinese food and the usual condiments: ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise. However, I did see a can of whipped cream. After checking the expiration date, I sprayed a small amount in my mouth._

_There was a tugging on the ribbon around me. I twirled around and found Edward standing behind me wearing nothing by that gorgeous crooked grin._

" _What are you doing?" He ran a hand through his hair, making it a beautiful chaotic storm of coppery locks._

" _I was hungry," I answered around a mouthful of cream._

_He laughed lightly. "I see that." He pulled on the ribbon, drawing me closer. "You have some on your mouth. Let me get it." He lifted my chin and licked the corner of my mouth._

_How was it possible the kid who used to play video games with Jacob could be so damn sexy? He grabbed the can out of my hand and threaded his fingers in my hair. Very gently, he pulled my hair giving him access to my neck. The whoosh of the can filled the air and I felt the cold cream on my shoulder. Then his hot mouth latched onto me and his tongue lapped up the sweet cream. The sudden change in temperature sent a jolt of passion through my body._

" _Baby, you taste so good, with or without the whipped cream," he whispered in my ear._

"Leah!" Rosalie shouted, knocking me out of my memory. "What are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?" I shrugged. "There's nothing to do. We were together for just that night. Nothing more."

"Then how come you're blushing." Rosalie eyed me meaningfully. "Tell me how come you can't get that stupid grin off your face. I bet you two cherry flavored BlowPops that it's far from over."

"Seriously?" I looked between her incredulously. "Edward wanted a way to forget Bella and I wanted a way to forget Sam. There's nothing else."

Rosalie just smirked at me knowingly. I, however, couldn't see what was funny.

"Tell me you're joking," Rosalie interjected. "You can't seriously be that clueless. Then again, you've had Sam blinders on forever. It's just now you're starting to see what else is out there."

I snorted at her comment.

"Let me explain it to you, sweetie." She leaned in and spoke to me like I was a child. "Edward Masen has been in love you for years."

"What?" I shook my head. "No way. I think you're making this up."

"You obviously never see the way he looks at you, the way he watches you walk in a room, how he gets so nervous around you sometimes. I guarantee he's always dreamed of being with you. And I'd be willing to throw in two Snickers bars that he's been jerking off to that memory ever since you left his condo."

"Edward and I are just friends." It sounded funny coming out. It felt like we were more than that now.

"Friends with benefits." Rosalie laughed. "You said he kept the table, right?"

"Yeah, so?" I shrugged. "I just figured it was more of a 'fuck you' to Bella because of how much she liked it."

Rosalie broke out in laughter. "He kept it because he had you on it. And I think you want him, too."

"No, I don't," I said, but there was no power behind it. The truth, I wanted him so bad that it hurt. My body ached to feel him inside me, filling me until I couldn't breathe. I longed to see his green eyes, staring back at me with uninhibited desire.

"You could do worse, though. Edward Masen is a pretty hot. I had my doubts when he was younger, but he's hot. I certainly wouldn't kick him out of the bed."

Was it true? Had Edward always had a crush on me? He'd had a few girlfriends before and he'd been married, too. But Bella and I were nothing alike, so that must have meant something. How could he be in love with two entirely different women?

Rose was right, though. Edward was a beautiful man. He'd sprouted up to six foot two, with lean muscle and a gorgeous smile. Even when he was younger, he had a hard time controlling his hair, but it suited him especially after he ran those long fingers through it.

"Oh my, God!" Rosalie tapped my arm. "You're thinking about him right now, aren't you?"

The goofy smile was back, plastered on my face like a sign that said, "I just got laid, and it was the best sex of my life!"

"This is far from over. It's only a matter of time before he's between your legs again. Which reminds me, you used protection with Edward, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, since Sam can't seem to keep it in his pants, we need to make sure he didn't bring home any presents for you. So we're going to the clinic to get you checked out."

Rosalie stood up, grabbed my hand, and dragged me to my car.


	3. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just a quick note. I would just like to clarify that I don't condone infidelity. I just wanted to try something different, and show that sometimes there are more sides to the story. It's a little racier than I normally write, but I wanted to try something different. 
> 
> Because this started out as a drabble, there's no beta. Just me. Please forgive my errors and know that I'm just trying to have fun with this and not over think things.

**Three**

Edward

 

You would think going to your ex father-in-law’s 50th birthday party would be awkward.  Quite the opposite.  Charlie Swan was a great man who earned my respect long before I got involved with his daughter.  Even after my relationship with Bella fell apart, we still remained friends.  Charlie Swan was the chief for the Forks Police Department.  He was also my father’s boss, which added a lot of stress to an already complicated and frustrating relationship.

Edward Masen, Sr. was a captain with the Forks Police Department and one of two captains being considered as the chief’s second-in-command after Chief Deputy Atera retired in a few months.  The other was Joshua Uley.  That’s right, Sam Uley’s father.  Small world, huh?  And it gets even smaller.  Joshua Uley’s administrative assistant was Emily Young; the same woman that was fucking Leah’s husband.  It was how they met after all.

My father and I didn’t have a lot in common.  He was disappointed that I didn’t go into law enforcement like my brother, Emmett.  Emmett was a great cop, part of the SWAT team and really loved his job.  But law enforcement wasn’t for me.  Most parents would be proud that their child became a doctor.  To my father, I was destroying a long legacy of police officers by not following in his footsteps. 

Chief Swan’s party was held at Joshua Uley’s home.  It was a surprise party, organized by Emily Young.  In reality, it was an attempt to sway Chief Swan’s decision.  But Charlie Swan was a good chief and he would choose the best man for the job, period.  No matter how much flattery came his way, he couldn’t be bought.

The party was hopping, people mingling and running about as I watched.  Most of the police force was present along with their families.  My mother and father were in a tight circle with Joshua Uley and his wife, Allison, laughing at Charlie’s jokes.

Bella did show up with her new boyfriend, Riley.  She kept her distance which was probably a good decision.  We fought so much I wondered how we were together for so long.  How the hell did we ever fall in love with each other? 

I felt a hard clap on my shoulder and found Jacob Black looking at me with a mischievous smile.  That was never a good sign.  He was definitely up to something.

“Hey, Edward.”

“Hey, Jake.”  I raised my eyebrows as his smile widened.  “What’s up?”

“Come with me. There’s someone I want you to meet.”  He nodded his head toward his wife and another woman talking in the corner. 

“Jake…” I started to object. 

“Just trust me, okay?” he insisted.  “She works with Angie and I think she’s perfect for you.  She’s beautiful and smart and Angie’s always talking about how great she is to work with.”

I let Jacob drag me away, sifting me through the crowds of people.  My best friend had good intentions, but I just wasn’t in the mood to date.

“Jake, I don’t think I’m ready for this,” I insisted.  “The divorce isn’t even final yet.”

“Well, it doesn’t mean you can’t look.”  Jacob stopped and lowered his voice. “Bella doesn’t care that the divorce isn’t legal yet.”  I glanced over a Bella laughing at something Riley whispered to her.  “Just talk to her, okay?  If you don’t like her, no harm, no foul.”

Jacob, God bless him, was determined to find someone to make me just as happy as Angela made him.  The sad thing, the only woman who would make me that kind of happy was Leah.  I hadn’t told anyone about the night I shared with Leah, especially Jacob.  Leah was like his sister, and he was very protective.  And let’s not forget that little tidbit that she was married. 

I released a deep breath and followed him.  The crowd parted as we walked through, and we reached the women who were in a very enlightening conversation about the decline of the youth today.

“…and the next thing you know, they’re shooting up some school or mall or something,” Angela finished, shaking her head sadly.  She was a social worker who cared a lot about her work helping children find good homes.  “If we can get to them before it gets to that point, we could save so many lives, including these kids.”

“Hey, baby,” Jacob said, wrapping his arms around his wife. “Plotting to save the world, I see.”

“Always,” she said, leaning into his touch.  They kissed briefly, then she noticed that I was there also.  “Hey, Edward.”  She stepped out of Jacob’s arms and greeted me with a hug.  “How are you?”

“I’m good.” I smiled, because I genuinely was.  All things considered, I had accepted what had happened and was working toward moving forward.  I could probably thank Leah for that.  It was hard to be in a bad mood knowing I’d had the most amazing night of my life with the woman of my dreams. 

“Good.”  She smiled and patted my shoulder.  “I want you to meet someone.”  She gestured toward the woman next to her.  “Edward, this is Dr. Tanya Patrick, one of the best child psychologists on this side of the country.”

As usual, Jacob was right.  Tanya was gorgeous.  She was tall and slender with icy blond hair that floated down her back.  Her eyes were a cool blue with spikes of gray that made them pop against her creamy skin.  She smiled graciously as she held out her hand. 

“Edward’s the pediatrician I was telling you about,” Angela inserted, not so subtly. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Dr. Masen,” she said as I took her hand. 

“Likewise.” I nodded and smiled.  “And you can call me Edward.” 

“Edward.”  She smiled, tossing her blond hair over her shoulder.  “Angela was telling me a little about you.”

“Edward is one of the best pediatricians around,” Angela clarified.  “He’s able to put the most terrified child at ease.”  I looked at Angela who was wrapped in his Jacob’s arms.  They both gave me the same look of encouragement. 

“Really?” Tanya said.  “I hate to talk about business here, but I have two patients that need physicals.  I want to have someone take a look at them, but they’re really fragile.  Do you think I could bring them by?”

“Sure, I’d be happy to take a look.”  I pulled out my wallet and handed her a business card.  “Just give my office a call and if I can’t take a look my business partner, Dr. Cullen, will be able to help.”

“Thank you,” she said, grabbing my hand. “They’re in a delicate situation.  They’ve been through so much.”

“It’s no problem.”  I glanced at Jacob and he gave me a knowing smile.  “I’ll help anyway I can.”          

My eyes darted around the room, looking out at everyone drinking, laughing, having a great time and they landed on the object of my affection.  Leah was near the window, her expression pained as she nursed a glass of wine.  She was wearing a simple red dress with thick straps that showed the strong feminine build of her arms, shoulders, and back.   

It had been almost two weeks since I’d see or heard from her.  Just watching her sent my mind in playback mode.  The memory of her underneath me, holding onto me as we made love was almost more than I could take. 

She caught my eye and smiled fleetingly and finished her drink in one gulp.    

I looked around for Sam and saw he was with a group of men talking about who knew what.  In the middle of that group was Emily Young, batting her eyes at an obviously smitten Sam Uley.          

My eyes found Leah again, staring at me, sending me a silent message.  She looked at the hallway behind her, then back at me and nodded her head slightly.  It was subtle, but I knew what she wanted.  She disappeared in the darkness of the empty hallway. 

“Will you excuse me?” I said politely to Tanya then stealthily made my way toward her.  At least I hope it was stealthily.    

The hallway wasn’t completely empty, but I found her looking back at me cautiously, making sure I followed.  Most of the people weren’t really paying attention to me, but I followed at a safe distance, making sure to stop for a moment so it didn’t seem like I was following her. 

I saw bright red fabric of her dress disappear behind the next corner and followed.  That small enclave was empty, just Leah leaning cautiously against the wall, staring at me with wide eyes.

“Hey,” I said as I approached.  As I stared at her, all coherent thought seemed to drift away.    

“Hi, Edward,” she said, nervously running her fingers through her hair. 

I waited, staring into the depths of her brown eyes.  They were glossy, letting me know she was a little buzzed.  Her hands were behind her as she cautiously looked up at me.

She led me back there for a reason, although it wasn’t hard.  I’d follow her in a volcano if that’s what she wanted.

“So, great party, huh?” I said in an effort to create small talk.

“Yeah,” she muttered as she lowered her eyes, which wasn’t like her at all.  Normally, she’d held her chin up high and faced whatever was in front of her.  Now she looked like a scared kitten.

“Hey, are you okay?” I said, touching her cheek gently.

“I’m sorry, Edward,” she said, anxiously.  “I just wanted to know how…”  I started, obviously trying to come up with something.  “…how you were doing?” 

“I’m okay.” I answered, playing along. 

“Good.” She smiled then started playing with the chain around her neck.  “I hope Bella being here didn’t make you uncomfortable.”

“No, it’s fine.  I’m fine.”  I watched her cautiously as she fidgeted with her fingers.  “Leah, honey, why did you lead me back here?”  She just stared at me, suddenly afraid to speak.  The puzzle was slowly coming together, and I decided to be bold for the both of us. 

She gasped as I trapped her against the wall and before I lost my nerve.  I saw the anxiousness, but I also saw the desire.  Her chest rose and fell against mine.  Then I lowered down, pressing my lips against hers. 

“Is that why you wanted me to follow you?”  I said, brushing my lips against hers as I spoke.  “Hmm?”

She shivered when I kissed her again.  She slowly opened her eyes, then nodded while biting her lip. 

We both turned our heads at the commotion coming down the hall and for a moment I panicked. 

“Come on,” I said, grabbing her hand and leading her to the empty laundry room. 

The door folded open like an accordion with slits letting in light from the hallway.  Aside from that, the room was completely dark and small.  There wasn’t a lot of room to maneuver, but I would make it work.   

After I knew we were alone, I really kissed her sucking those lips until she moaned against me.  I could barely see, but knew how to use my hands to find what I was looking for. 

Touching her again was like waking a sleeping man.  My hands rubbed all over her body, memorizing the curves I’d missed. 

Lifting her up, I set her down on the washing machine and stepped in between her open legs.  She eagerly wrapped them around me, pulling me closer. 

There was commotion outside and we both froze, her hands around my neck, my hand firmly on her ass.

“Hey, do you know where the bathroom is?” a woman said.  She sounded like she was right outside the door.  I put my index finger to Leah’s soft lips, and she nodded at me that she understood. 

“That’s the laundry room,” another woman answered.  “I think it’s up here.”

Their retreating footsteps made us both relax a bit.  There was something wet on my finger.  That’s when I saw Leah’s warm mouth sucking it, swirling her tongue around it.

“Damn, baby,” I said pulling my finger away.  “You’re going to be the death of me.”

She laughed lightly and then kissed me again.  My hands found the zipper of her dress.  My head rested against her forehead as the sound of metallic teeth separating filled the silence.  Very slowly, I pulled one strap down then the other until she was bare in front of me.  I couldn’t see so I used my hands to feel and was delighted that she hadn’t bothered with a bra. 

My lips followed my hands until I came in contact with her nipple; my delicious Hershey’s kiss.  I hummed lightly as her back arched into me, pushing her further in my mouth.     

My hand moved up her dress and felt silk; a lot of silk.  God I wanted to be inside her, but I didn’t come prepared.  Next time I would remember to bring a condom.  _Next time?_  

“You’re going have to be quiet, okay,” I whispered against her lips. I pushed aside the panties and brushed my finger over her slit.  She was so wet, so ready for me.  “You understand?”

She nodded and I slipped my other hand up her dress so I could pull her underwear off.  They were light pink and I was sorry I didn’t see them on her body.  Then I bundled them up and put them in my pocket. 

“Shhh,” I warned again as I found her moist opening again.  Her body jerked as I brushed over her clit finding the spot that drove her crazy.  I loved watching her come.  It was a thing of beauty. 

My index finger dipped inside and found heaven.  She moaned loudly, and I stopped.  I pinched soft area between her ass and thigh as a warning.  “You have to be quiet!”  Then I felt her inner walls flutter and she bit her lip.  She mouthed, “I’m sorry,” with a coy smile.  It seemed that Leah liked a little bit of kinkiness.

She lifted her leg up and rested it on the shelf behind me, opening up so I could really work her.  In and out my hand moved and I added another finger to increase her pleasure.  My hand rested on her lower back, as I pushed deeper in her warm, slick crevice, my thumb working her clit.

“Edward,” she whimpered as her hips started to undulate with my hands.  Then she leaned up and buried her head in my neck as she came, the screams muffled against my neck.  I helped her ride out that orgasm as long as she possible could. 

Pulling my hands free, I watched her pant with her dress bunched around her waist.  As her eyes locked with mine, I licked my fingers tasting her.  Before I knew what was happening, she jumped off the washer and she kissed me, trapping me against the dryer.  The passion that filled that kissed told me she’d experienced one hell of an orgasm. 

I couldn’t say when my belt came loose or when my zipper came down.  All I knew was her hand was around me, stroking me like there was no tomorrow.  Then she was down on her knees in front of me, pulling my jeans and boxers to the floor.

“Leah, isn’t someone going to be missing--” I had no time to finish my sentence, because her mouth was around me, working my cock just like she worked my finger earlier.  Her fingernails dug into my ass as she swirled her tongue around me.  She took long, languid pulls from me, coaxing my release to the surface.

Now it was my turn to try and be quiet.

It had been too long since we were together, and my body had a taste of Leah Clearwater.  I wasn’t going to make it much longer.  There was tightening in my stomach and no stopping what was about to happen.

“Leah, I’m going to come,” I said through gritted teeth, placing my hand on her shoulder for her to stop.

She pushed my hand away, and started moving faster.  I looked down at her and her eyes locked with mine as she worked her warm mouth over my cock.  I felt her tongue massaging at each stroke.

“Leah…” I muttered and then I came in her mouth.  Soft slurping noises came from her mouth as she took everything I had.  Her eyes never left mine, holding me hostage as she finished me off.  Finally, I went limp and she slowly stood up. 

She slowly pulled the straps of her dress back over her shoulder, as I quietly fastened my pants.  Then she smiled.  It was that same smile she gave me that night.  Like a kid who just got away with the biggest candy heist in the world. 

“Let me get that for you,” I whispered.  She turned around, and I zipped up the dress, running my hands over her body again.

“I don’t suppose you plan on giving me my panties back?” she said, turning around to look at me.

I laughed lightly.  “No, I think I’ll hold onto them.” 

She kissed me and we both walked toward the door.  We listened for sounds and heard nothing.  We agreed that she would leave first, then I would wait a few minutes then leave too. 

“Hey, where you been?” Jacob said as soon as I came out of the hallway.  Luckily, he didn’t wait for answer.  “Dr. Patrick has been talking about you nonstop since you left.  I think she likes you.”

“Yeah?” I answered, as I looked around the room for Leah.  I was only halfway listening to him.  My thoughts were replaying the amazing encounter in the laundry room.  I watched Leah hungrily as she talked to her mother.  Knowing she was standing there naked under her dress was so hot.  I wanted to pull her away and finish what we started in that room.  She turned around and found me staring at her.  As if she knew what I was thinking, she smiled seductively.  I returned her smile as I put my hand in my pocket, fingering the silky pink panties that she was wearing. 

I had no idea where this left us.  One thing for sure, I knew that I would be inside her again and probably sooner than later.

 


	4. Four

**Four**

Leah

 

 

Many people who meet me comment on how much I was like my mother.  She gave me her long legs, her smile, and her silky black hair.  As I watch her talk to Charlie Swan, I realize she must have given me the ability be oblivious to the obvious.  

         

My father left my mother years back and while he was gone, his best friend, Charlie Swan fell in love with her.  I don’t think Charlie saw it coming.  He was being a friend to my mother while my mother grieved over her dying marriage.  Then it turned into more.  I’d catch him staring at her so absorbedly, like she was his beacon of light in a world of darkness.  Charlie wasn’t always good with words.  He showed his love through actions.  Like when he offered to fix something at the house on his only day off, the gentle way he’d brush away a stray eyelash from her cheek, or how on stressful days at the hospital he’d buy her a cup a coffee and listen to her vent.  He was head over heels, balls to the walls, deep in love with my mother, and she couldn’t see it.  She was too busy waiting for my father to come home.

         

My brother, Seth, and I had both made peace with our father leaving.  He didn’t just abandon my mother, he left all of us.  We used to get phone calls from him on holidays and birthdays, but that soon turned into birthday cards in the mail.  I think we made him feel uncomfortable because we reminded him of the pain he caused our family.   

         

Charlie Swan, however, filled in where my father left off.  He wasn’t our father, and he wasn’t trying to be.  He was someone my brother and I could turn to if we needed someone.  There were moments when Seth acted out, but Charlie kept him on the straight and narrow.        

 

Charlie was the best of the best, with a heart of gold.  He was the real deal; the one who would look at a stack of money confiscated from a drug ring and not touch a dime of it.  Instead, he’d do everything in his power to get that money to needy charities.         

         

“Are you having a good time?” Charlie asked my mother and then took a sip of his punch.

         

“Yes.”  My mother smiled as she looked around the home.  “It was a great idea for Joshua to throw this party for your birthday.”  She leaned in and gently touched Charlie’s arm. “Although, I know how much you hate all this fuss.”

         

“Yeah, but I’m surrounded by good people. That makes it easier.”  Charlie nervously cleared his throat.

         

My mother laughed leisurely.

 

“What about you, Leah?”  Charlie turned to me, probably to help hide the blush creeping up his cheeks.  “Are you having a good time?”

 

My mind flashed to the laundry room where Edward’s hand was up my dress helping me ride out an amazing orgasm. 

 

“Yes.”  Heat rushed to my face and I took a sip of my drink to hide my own blush. 

 

“Good, I’m glad you’re having fun.”  His smile was genuine, caring.     

 

Charlie turned back to my mother.  “So how are things at the hospital?  I heard there were some budget cuts coming down the pipeline.”

         

“Yeah.” Sue nodded gravely.  She’d been working at Forks General for almost thirty years.  The corporate big wigs had already forced veteran nurses into early retirement, but my mother wasn’t ready to leave.  She really loved being a nurse and didn’t want to sit at home watching television all day.  “We still haven’t heard any word yet on the status.  I’m hopeful, though.”

         

“You’re the best nurse they got, Sue.”  Charlie smiled as he lovingly looked at my mother.  “They’d be crazy to let you go.”

         

“You’re sweet.”  She smiled back, making a connection with his dark brown eyes.  For a moment, I thought that my mother would finally open her eyes and see the love in Charlie’s eyes.  Feeling like I was intruding, I started to ease away so I wouldn’t ruin the moment.  However, my mother took care of that.

         

“Have you heard anything from Harry lately?”  She was so hopeful, wishing and praying that Harry Clearwater would leave his new wife and come back to her.  I could see the attraction in her eyes, but felt like she was betraying my father by not staying true to him. 

         

I watched Charlie’s face sink like a deflated balloon.  “The last I talked to him, he said he was doing fine.  He likes it in California.”  He forced a smile, but I could tell it was hurting him. 

         

“Oh.”  The pain in my mother’s voice broke my heart.  It was hard watching my mother pine over a man who obviously didn’t want her anymore and watching Charlie who was clearly in love but didn’t know how to express it.  I wanted to lock them up in a room and force them to be honest with each other.

         

Rosalie appeared next to me and looped her arm within mine.  “Hi, Mrs. C.  Hey, Chief Swan.”   

         

They both greeted her politely. 

         

“Leah, I want to show you something.”  She tilted her head to the side and gave me a pointed look.  This was her cue that she wanted to talk to me about something.

         

“Okay.”  I turned to my mother.  “I’ll see you later, mom.”

         

“Okay, honey.”  With that, she went back to her conversation with Charlie. 

         

Rosalie tugged my arm and pulled me toward the snack table.   

 

“God, he is so in love with her.” I watched as Charlie blushed when my mother briefly grabbed his arm after he told her something funny.  I could practically see the love radiating from him.  “Too bad she can’t see it.”  

         

Rosalie pursed her lips, placed her hands on my shoulders and turned me toward my mother and Charlie. “Pot, have you met kettle?” 

         

“Yeah, yeah,” I commented with an eye roll.

         

I was still wrapping my head around Edward’s feelings for me.  It just seemed so weird.  We’d been friends for years.  How did I not know?  Then there were my feelings for Edward; feelings I didn’t even know about until we danced at Jacob and Angela’s wedding when he told me about his wish.

         

“Speaking of unrequited love, you owe me two cherry flavored Blowpops.”  Rosalie perused through the choices of finger foods.  “And I expect payment by the end of this week.”

         

“What are you talking about?” I nervously adjusted my dress.  Standing there without my underwear was more uncomfortable than I imagined.     

         

“I’m talking about the disappearing act you and Edward pulled about a half hour ago.”  Rosalie grabbed a small plate and added a couple of carrots and some celery.  “Not to mention, you’ve got that goofy look on your face again.”

         

“What disappearing act?” I answered quickly, adjusting my dress again.  “I just went back there to get some air…” 

         

“Don’t lie to me, Leah.”  She pointed an accusing carrot at me. 

         

Geez, was it that obvious that I’d just been finger fucked in my father-in-law’s laundry room? 

 

I glanced over at Edward talking to a blond woman.  Watching her laugh at his jokes and him smiling back at her made an uncomfortable bubble form in my stomach.  However, it was familiar.  I’d gotten that feeling whenever Emily exaggerated a laugh at one of Sam’s corny jokes. 

         

His wandering eyes landed on me.  He winked at me while dropping his hand in his pocket; the same pocket that held my underwear.  Warmth surged through my body, melting my core.   

         

I realized at that moment that I was in deep shit.  My plan of revenge against my cheating husband might have gotten me in more trouble than expected.  Sure, it took away the sting, but replaced it with a new ache that only one man could soothe, and he was standing there, holding my underwear hostage.     

         

“Okay, can you stop making goo-goo eyes at your boy toy and admit it?”  Rosalie pinched my arm.

         

I yanked my arm away.  “Okay, we might have…done things…” I waved my hand around so she would get the point.  “…a little while ago.”

         

“I thought you told me that it was a onetime thing?” She dipped her carrot in ranch dressing before biting into it.

         

“It was…is…” I stared down at my punch.  “I don’t know.  Edward just makes me feel so…good.” 

         

“Alright, I wouldn’t be a good friend if I didn’t play devil’s advocate.”  She tilted her head for me to follow her to the window for more privacy.  “What’s the endgame here?”

         

“What do you mean?”  I finished the rest of my drink and tossed the cup into the trash.

         

“I mean, where do you see this going?  Are you going to tell Sam you know he’s fucking Emily?  Are you going to leave him or are you going continue sailing on that river of denial?  Are you going to have some super-secret affair with Edward? What’s next?”

         

What I was doing with Edward was wrong, but knowing that I’d never feel Edward’s hands on me again sent a ripple of dread through me.  Two weeks without him was hard enough. 

         

 

“I don’t know, Rose.”  I looked at Edward again.  “I love Sam, and I want to make it work.  But Edward…”

 

“Yeah, I know.”  Rosalie rolled her eyes.  “He makes your panties wet.”

 

“If I were wearing any, yeah,” I muttered as I looked back at him.

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing.”  I quickly went back to the subject at hand.  “The thing with Sam is   we haven’t been married that long, and he’s cheating on me.  Has he always been cheating on me?  I haven’t been that clueless, have I?” 

         

“You want my opinion?” Rosalie asked.

         

“You’re going to give it to me anyway,” I mumbled. 

         

“Damn right, I am,” she answered defiantly.  “I think this is a first for Sam.”  Rosalie looked over at Sam as he talked with some of the other cops.  “If he’d been doing this all along, I think you would have known years ago.  He may think he’s slick, but he’s not smart or smooth enough to pull this off.”

         

“Yeah, you’re right.”  I laughed.  “He’s about as stealthy as a bull in a china shop.”

         

“Yep, speaking of which, you and Edward need to work on your slyness.”  She nodded as my eyebrows rose.  “You went down that hallway and he followed right behind you.  Then you came out and he waited about two seconds before he was behind you.  You both looked like you were guilty, him adjusting his pants, you fiddling with your hair.”

         

“Shit!” I put my hand to my head.  “Do you think anyone else saw us?” 

         

Rosalie shrugged.  “I don’t think so, but next time you sneak off with your new fuck buddy, you might want to do a little recon and have a plan.”

         

“He’s not my fuck buddy!” I shouted, then lowered my voice.  “He’s more than that.  Besides you should talk.  Didn’t you and Jacob have a ‘no strings attached’ relationship for over a year?”  I used air quotes around ‘no strings attached’.

         

“That was different,” Rosalie pointed out.  “That was before he started dating Angela and we were both single.”

         

“I know you had feelings for Jacob and I think if you were a little honest with him that would be you nuzzling with him right now with his mother’s wedding ring on your finger and not Angela.”

         

We watched Jacob cuddle close to his new wife.  He held her like she was the most precious thing in the world and kissed her until she giggled like a school girl.

         

“We weren’t a good match, and he’s happy now.  That’s what matters.”  Rosalie’s voice was sad as she looked at Jacob.   Then she turned on me with a harsh glare.  “Wait a minute.  This is about you hooking up with Edward while your husband is hooking up with your cousin.  Not about my fling with Jacob Black.  Why don’t you just tell Sam the truth?”

         

“Because I still don’t know what that is.  I don’t know if I want to start a relationship with Edward.  He’s in the middle of a messy divorce and I don’t want him to use me to bang out his memories of Bella.”

         

“Well, you can’t keep leading him on.”

         

“I’m not!”  I insisted.  “I really do care about him.  Maybe if I wasn’t married, we could start something.  But I married Sam.  I owe it to him to a least try and make it work.”

         

“Huh.”  Rosalie’s mouth twisted.  “Do you know where your husband is right now?”

         

I looked around the room, searching all of the smiling faces for him.  Nothing. 

         

“And where is Emily?” Rosalie added, waving her finger around the room.  “Do you see her anywhere?”

         

“No.”  I looked shamefully at my hand and started twisting the wedding band on my ring finger. 

         

“That’s what I’m talking about.”  She pointed at me.  “You should be with someone who wants to be around you and someone you want to be around.  The only way a relationship works is if both people are willing to make it work.”

         

“Hello, ladies.”  Joshua Uley suddenly appeared, scaring the life out of me.  “Oh, sorry, Leah.  I didn’t mean to scare you.”  His smile was sinister, disturbing like he just took candy from a baby and wasn’t the least bit apologetic about it.  He leaned forward, wrapping his arm around my waist, his hand patted the small of my back.  “You look beautiful, tonight.” 

         

“Thanks, Mr. Uley.”  I was trying to be polite.  I looked up into those dark brown eyes and regretted it.  I had a feeling there were a series of dirty thoughts running around his brain that didn’t involve his wife.  For as many years as I’d known this man, he’d given me the creeps. 

         

Joshua Uley, Sam’s father, was a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen.  He was a handsome man, tall, lean, and in excellent shape.  Sam looked a lot like him.  He’d also gotten around quite a bit.  It was common knowledge that he’d had affairs, and that his wife looked the other way.  Apparently, Sam was learning a thing or two from his father.  

 

“Leah, you’ve been with my son for years.  It’s about time you started calling me, Josh.  You’re family.”  The smile he was more of a sneer that seemed to see through all of my secrets.  His eyes wandered up and down my body, making me feel like I was completely naked for his viewing pleasure and there was nothing I could do about it. 

         

I crossed my arms over my breasts to get his eyes back up to my face.

         

“My son is a fool to leave you out here looking like that,” he commented, his eyes centering on my bosom.  “If you were my wife, you’d be by my side so I can make sure other men stayed away.”

         

“I’m sure he’s busy,” I answered automatically.

         

“Yeah, you’re probably right.”  He winked at me.  Could he know that Emily and Sam were sleeping together?  “So tell me, what are you both over here whispering about?”

         

Rosalie and I exchanged glances and then she spoke.  “Just girl talk.  Makeup, clothes, that sort of thing.”

         

“Ah.”  He nodded his head, but his eyes stayed on me.  “Well, there are a lot of interesting people around here.  You should mingle a little bit.”  He waved his hand around the room.   “And don’t worry about Sam.  I’m sure Sam will show up soon.  Maybe, Emily knows where he is.  My assistant is _very_ resourceful.”  He looked at me meaningfully.

         

With that he strolled away, his smile broadening as he left.   

         

“Is it just me or is he creepy,” Rosalie said in my ear. 

         

“No, he’s creepy.”  I looked at Rosalie. 

         

“Yeah, well watch out for him.  I have a feeling he’s not used to hearing the word ‘no’,” she said wearily. 

         

“You’re probably right, Rose.”


	5. Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Leah may seem a bit out of character in this piece, but I was trying to write about the Leah that everyone says she was before the betrayal. Plus, she's still confused about what she wants.
> 
> Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, but this twisted plot belongs to me. Please forgive my errors. :)

**Five**

Edward

 

 

 

It only took one month for me to fall in love with Leah.  This was completely different from the infatuation I had since I first met her.  That innocent obsession had blossomed into something I couldn’t control.  She began taking over my thoughts and dreams, slowly changing my world until it revolved around her.

Somewhere down the line, it stopped being about sex and turned into a relationship.  Don’t get me wrong.  The sex was magical, but there were also sweeter times.  Sometimes when she came over, we’d cuddle on the couch and watch movies.  Other times, she’d come over just to get some work done.  Sometimes, Sam would invite friends over to watch some sporting event and things would get rowdy.  It didn’t matter what day of the week it was.  This was fine on the weekends, but for a teacher who had papers to grade, it was quite a hindrance. 

At first, she’d make excuses to come over.  The first time she’d showed up, she’d brought the clothes that she borrowed our first night together, freshly laundered and folded.  We’d asked each other how things were and made small talk.  Eventually, the tension became too much.  She was in my arms in an instant, kissing me like there was no tomorrow.

Another time, she’d come by because she claimed she’d left her sunglasses the last time she was over. 

_“Hey,” Leah said as she rocked side to side.  She stared at me, cautiously holding her hands behind her back. “I...um…was wondering if I left my sunglasses here.”_

_I smirked at her.  Damn, she was cute when she was trying to be elusive.  “No, they’re not here.”  I leaned against the doorjamb while smirking at her awkwardness._

_“Oh, I guess I left them at work or something.”  She knotted her fingers and waited, sneaking hesitant glances at me._

_The hunger was shining in her eyes.  She wanted to come in so bad, but she didn’t want to overstep.  It was amazing how much Leah had changed over the years.  Had Sam slowly chipped away at the fiery passion that burned within her that it was almost snuffed out?   The Leah I grew up would have just said what she wanted and taken it, but this one was cautious.  When she was with me, I saw glimpses of that passion she used to have.  She wouldn’t let her walls down; instead she stepped from behind them for a while.  With me, she didn’t have to fit some mold that Sam created for her.  She could just be Leah.  It became my personal goal to get that Leah back._

_She was fidgeting, probably debating whether to leave or not.  I finally decided to put her out of her misery._

_“Get in here,” I commanded and pulled her inside.  She giggled and jumped into my open arms. I kissed her hard, catching her whimpers in my mouth.  As soon as the door was shut, I had her pinned against it and suffocated her with kisses.  Her fingers dug into my hair, and my hands grasped every inch of flesh I could get.  She didn’t protest when I unbuttoned her jeans.  “You don’t have to make excuses to come see me, okay?” I whispered against her lips._

_She nodded and lifted her arms so I could pull off her shirt._

_“You’re always welcome here.”  I made quick work of her bra and ran my fingers over her nipple, causing a tremor to run through her.  My fingers spread across her back, so I could arch her back.  I leaned down to pull the taut nipple in my mouth.  I sucked on the erect bud and made a popping sound when I released it.  “Understand?”_

_“Yes,” she whimpered._

_We left a trail of clothes to my bedroom and soon she was under me, squirming and begging me not to stop._

For those moments, it almost seemed like we were a real couple.  I felt so comfortable around her and she seemed to relax around me.  As cheesy as this sounds, we talked for hours.   

_“What makes you happy, Leah?” I asked.  We were sitting on my loveseat, half naked.  She was still wearing her bra and a delicious pair of blue boy shorts.  I was shirtless and in my boxers.  She was straddled lazily across over me as my hands rested on her lower back._

_“What do you mean?” She smiled as she ran her thumb over my lips and rolled her hips over my growing erection._

_I growled as a tremor of passion ran through me.  “Just what I said.  What gives you the most joy?”_

_“I don’t know.”  She was being evasive.  “I guess, maybe…”_

_I buried my face in the crook of her neck.  “I’m listening.”_

_“Well, when I’m teaching and one of my students gets it.”  She smiled lightly.  “I love my job, but teaching high school teenagers can be a challenge.  I imagine sometimes that I sound like the teacher in Charlie Brown cartoons.  But if just one of them understands what I’m teaching, it’s worth it.”_

_Watching her face light up with joy was amazing.  She was beautiful, but when she talked about something that was close to her heart, she radiated light.  She was like the sun, and I was the moon staring at wonder at her brightness._

_“What else?” I asked, running my fingers between the elastic of her panties.  “What else keeps that beautiful smile on your face?”_

_“Well…” she trailed off, pushing her short hair out of her eyes._

_“Well what?” I prompted and moved her chin so she would look at me.  “Tell me, honey. I want to know.”_

_“I write…a little,” she finally confessed._

_“Yeah?”_

_She nodded.  “I’m writing a novel.  It’s about halfway done.”_

_“That sounds like more than a little writing.”  My nose rubbed against hers affectionately.  “I’ve known you for years and I never knew that about you.”_

_“Well, I’ve been writing for years, but no one knew about it.”  She laughed lightly.  “Not even Rose.  I haven’t been brave enough to share my work with anyone.  I guess I should thank you.”  She dropped her head to mine._

_“Me?  Why?”_

_“I haven’t written anything new in years,” she confessed.  “But since I’ve been spending time with you,”  She kissed me briefly and continued, “I’ve been inspired to write again.  You’re my muse, Edward.”_

_“Really?” I couldn’t believe it.  Not only did she share something with me that no one knew about, I was the reason she opened the door to her creativity again.  “Will you let me read it, sometime?”_

_“Maybe.”  She buried her face in the juncture between my neck and shoulder, her long eyelashes tickling me as they fluttered._

_“Maybe?”  I moved her so she would look at me.  “You can’t tell me I’m your inspiration and not let me see what I’ve inspired.  For all I know, you’ve written a story about a doctor who went crazy.”_

_“No.”  Leah shook her head and lowered her voice.  “It’s a romance novel.”_

_“With sex scenes?”_

_“There are a few.” Her finger trailed from my ear to my chin.  “Like I said, you’re my inspiration.”_

_“Well, now I definitely need to read it.”_

_“We’ll see.”_

_“We’ll see?”  I said with a chuckle.  “It looks like we’re going to have to negotiate some things.  I might have to sway things my way.”  She giggled as I laid her on her back._

_“And how are you going to do that?” she asked as she lifted her hips so I could peel off her underwear._

_“Baby, I have excellent negotiating skills.”  I began kissing her belly and then moved lower.  Soon, her giggles turned into soft sighs and moans.  I remember her screaming “Yes!”, and took that as a strong point in my favor._

_The next time she came over, she seemed jumpy and nervous.  She was in my room, fidgeting with something in her purse on the dresser.  It was the strangest thing.  She’d open her purse, pull something out then shake her head and put it back in.  This went on for about five minutes before I decided to intervene._

_“Leah?” I popped up behind her and she nearly jumped out of her skin.  “Oh, sorry, baby.  I didn’t mean to scare you.”_

_“It’s okay.”  She slowly turned around and held one hand over her heart.  I saw her fisted hand in the mirror as she held it behind her back._

_“What you got there?”  I asked, reaching around to grab her hand, but she yanked it free._

_“Nothing.”  She started to move away, but I trapped her there, placing a hand on either side of her hips._

_“If it’s nothing, then you can show me.”_

_Her big brown eyes looked at me anxiously and I became apprehensive.  “Baby, I was just kidding.  You don’t have to show me if you don’t want to.”  I took a few steps back._

_She took a deep breath and slowly released it.  “No, I was just…” she started and I waited for her to continue.  “Remember when you asked to read my novel?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_She slowly brought her hand in front of her and opened it.  Inside her palm was a flash drive._

_“It’s what I’ve written so far.”  She dropped it in my hand._

_“It looks like my negotiating skills worked,” I joked._

_“Well, you do have a way with words and a very talented mouth.”  She smirked then gestured toward the flash drive in my hand.  “I would like you to read it, but I want your honest opinion.”  She jabbed her finger into my chest.  “No sugarcoating things.”_

_“Okay.”  I looked down at drive and carefully wrapped my fingers it._

_“And please don’t show it to anyone.”_

_“Of course, not.”  I stepped forward and kissed her deeply.  “Thank you for trusting me with this.”  I headed to my nightstand to grab my laptop._

_“You can’t read it now!” Leah urgently grabbed my arm._

_“Why not?”  I couldn’t wait to see what she’d written and if any of our adventures made the cut._

_“Because, I don’t want to be here when you read it.  Wait until after I leave, okay?”_

_“Okay.”  I relented and put the drive in the first drawer of my night stand._

We’d continued to meet at my house.  It was the best option since I lived alone.  My sister, Alice, owned a property management company and found the perfect place for me.  It was farther away from my office than the condo, but it was in walking distance to the park where I liked to run.  My neighbors were nice, but kept to themselves, so they didn’t comment on the fact that I had a woman coming over and sometimes staying the night. 

Lately, Leah and I had been venturing out together as long as it was out of the city.  I didn’t mind the drive though.  I treasured those moments I had with her.  It became a mini therapy session.  Sometimes we’d talk about our fathers and how they frustrating they could be.  Other times we’d talk about what we wanted in life.  One subject we never talked about was our status.  I didn’t want to risk losing this feeling, so I just let things be what they were.

Since Sam was away on one of his “business trips”, Leah spent the weekend with me.  On Saturday, we went to the Olympic Gaming Farm in Sequim, Washington, about an hour and half away from Forks.  It was a farm that held all sorts of animals in their natural habitat.

It was a rare partly cloudy day, which was great since we were outside.  We waited patiently in line for tickets, hand in hand like a normal couple. 

“Isn’t that sweet?” Leah pointed casually at the couple in front of us.  They were elderly, the man’s arm linked with his wife as they moved forward.

“Yeah, it is.”  I stared at them and saw the two of us in the future, visiting places like this.  The possibility of having a family with her flashed in my mind, and I quickly pushed it away.  It was a bad idea to let my mind wander there, but I couldn’t shake it.  No matter what happened between Leah and me, she would always own a piece of my heart.

We hopped on the tour bus and found seats near the middle.  Leah sat next to the window, waiting anxiously like a child for the tour to start.  I could feel the excitement radiating from her.  I was excited too.  We rode through the park as the guide spoke facts about the various animals.  It really was amazing.  There were so many beautiful creatures there, some of them endangered and exotic.       

The ones that really caught Leah’s eye were the wolves.  As a pack of them were roaming, a small gray wolf broke off and stepped closer to the fence.  Its knowing eyes centered on Leah. 

“Edward, look,” Leah said, tapping my leg.  The gray wolf sat down and watched Leah curiously.  “Isn’t she beautiful?” 

“Yes, she is.”  I kissed her cheek.  “Babe, I think she likes you.”

“Yeah, I like her, too.”  She leaned against me as the bus started moving again, the wolf’s eyes staying with Leah until we were out of sight.

After our tour, we bought a few souvenirs and we went to get something to eat.  Afterward, we walked through the town, observing the little shops.  Her hand was intertwined with mine as we strolled along.  It was nice not have to sneak around. 

The sun was setting by the time we headed home.  After she called home to make sure she didn’t have any messages, we headed to the shower.  At her suggestion, it would save water if we took a shower together.  Who was I to argue?  As soon as we were out of the shower, we skipped getting dressed and made love slowly.  We passed out after that, her limbs clinging to me.

We were still pretty tired from the night before, so we didn’t leave the house.  We’d made love most of the afternoon and decided that it was futile to wear clothes.  I’d just take them off, anyway. 

The afternoon soon turned into early evening and Leah had to go, but I didn’t want her to leave yet.   

“Edward, I have to go,” Leah said around a giggle as I pulled her back against me.

“Yeah, you said that an hour ago,” I answered as I began kissing her neck.  

“I know, but I really have to leave.”  She forced me to look in her deep brown eyes, her smile slowly fading.  I would have loved for her to stay here for the rest of the day, but it wasn’t practical.  She’d already spent all weekend with me, and it was great, but people would ask questions.     

“Okay.” I kissed her once more, showing her all my passion and frustration and slowly pulled away.  I watched her slowly get up, her naked body teasing me as she searched for her panties. 

“Looking for these?” I twisted the red lace between my fingers. 

She grinned at me and slowly crawled across the bed until she reached me.  Her lips met mine in a fevered kiss before she untangled them from my fingers.  “Thanks.”  Her eyes glistened with mischief.

“I know a way you could thank me,” I teased, pinching her thigh.  She laughed and began putting her clothes back on.  One thing I loved was watching Leah undress, but watching her slowly dress in front of me wasn’t bad either.  She’d occasionally look over her shoulder, ensuring that I was watching her leisurely clasp her bra or the sensual way she’d slide her jeans over her lean legs. 

She pulled her shirt over her head, and said, “Are you gonna walk me out?”

“Yep.”  I got up, pulled on a pair of sweat pants, and followed her to my door.

Her overnight bag and purse swayed as we made our way to the front door. 

She turned around, stepped on her toes and kissed me.  Her things dropped to the floor as my arms circled her, one hand landing on her ass, the other threading through her short hair.  Her leaving was the worst.  The smile she’d had when she was with me slowly faded away as she headed back to the reality of her life.   

“I had a great time, Edward.”  Her hands rested on my chest.

“I’m glad.”  I lifted her chin so she’d look at me.  “I like it when you spend time with me, Leah.”

“I like spending time with you.”  She kissed me again, hungrily and desperately.  I’d pinned her against the door, my growing erection bumping against her hip.  “And if you keep doing that, you aren’t going anywhere.”

“Doing what?” she said innocently.

“You know what.”  I pinched her ass and she yelped then giggled.  She made it hard for me to restrain myself, but I did.  I kissed her once more and said, “We should do this again; maybe we could go to the museum.”

“Okay,” she answered.  She picked up her things and unlocked the door.  “It’s a date.”

The door squeaked open and my heart plummeted to my stomach.  My sister, Alice, was standing there, her hand wrapped in a fist ready to knock.  Her eyes shifted suspiciously between the two of us. 

We looked extremely guilty, me wearing only a pair of sweat pants and Leah’s clothes askew from my kisses.

“Hi?” came out more as a question as her expression went from questions to all the answers she needed to know.  The accusations were sure to come and Leah took her cue.

Leah cleared her throat nervously.  “Well, I’ll see you later, Edward.”  She hastily made her way outside. 

“Yeah, definitely.”  I starred at her deliberately, hoping she’d get the message that she could still come back. 

My eyes shifted to the worried look on Leah’s face to my sister’s angry pout. 

As Leah hopped in her car, I walked inside.  The door slammed shut behind me.

“What the hell that?”  Alice said, dropping her keys and purse on the kitchen counter.  

“What the hell was what?” I knew playing dumb would only infuriate her, but I couldn’t help myself.  I headed to the kitchen to grab a beer.  If I was going to listen to Alice bitch at me, I needed something to help me relax.

“Why was Leah here?”  She pointed toward the closed door that Leah just exited.  

“Because she’s my friend.”  I took a long sip then continued, “She has every right to be here if she wants.”

“What _kind_ of friend, Edward?”  Her stare so intense, I felt the heat burning into my skin.  “Because I know what kind of friend leaves a man’s apartment with her clothes all rumpled.”

“So, she forgot the iron her clothes before she got here.” I shrugged nonchalantly.  “Big deal.”

“Yeah?  What’s your excuse?”  Alice gestured toward my bare chest.  “Is it laundry day?”

“As a matter of fact…” I stared at my sweat pants.

Alice raised her hand for me to stop.  “I’m not stupid, Edward.  Remember I lived this.  I’ve heard every excuse in the book.”

Alice knew firsthand what it was like.  She dated a real asshole for almost four years and he cheated on her for most of that time.  She’d caught him red handed many times, and he’d squirmed his way out of it, promising to be faithful to her.  She reached her breaking point when she’d caught him with one of her close friends.

“It’s different,” I muttered as I leaned against the counter. 

“Are you kidding me?  Are you going to say something asinine like ‘the heart wants what the heart wants’? Or did she just fall on your dick?”  She ran her hands through her hair.  “I knew there was something different about you, but I thought it had to do with the doctor.” 

“Doctor?” I scratched my head as I tried to remember a doctor.

“You know, Angela’s friend.  Angela told me you both got along great at Charlie’s birthday party, so I assumed that’s who you were seeing.”

“Oh! Yeah, Dr. Patrick.  She’s nice, but she’s not for me.”

“How do you know?”  Alice asked.  “Did you even give her a shot or were you too busy destroying someone else’s marriage.”

I laughed harshly and said, “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”  I placed the bottle to my lips in an effort to keep my mouth shut.

“Oh, no?” She stepped closer to me.  “Leah’s married and here you are, slinking around like some snake waiting to strike.  I never in a million years thought you were _that_ person, Edward.”  Alice headed to the fridge and helped herself to some iced tea.  She hated beer.

“Sam’s fucking her cousin,” I shot back.  “Did you know that?  So if anyone is destroying marriages, it’s Sam.”  She slowly lifted her head as the refrigerator door closed.  She didn’t look surprised.  Of course she knew.  Like I said, she lived this, so she knew all the signs.  “Yeah, she knows everything because she caught them in the act.  In fact, he probably went away with _her_ while Leah was with me.”

“So what you’re saying is that you’re part of some revenge plan?” Alice narrowed her eyes at me.  “Something to get back at Sam with.”

“It’s not like that with us,” I answered softly.  Sure things may have started that way, but they weren’t like that now.   

“Alright, tell me everything.”  She pulled on my arm to join her at the dining room table.  She took a seat and pointed at the empty chair across from her for me to sit.  “Convince me not blow the lid off this thing.”

“Alice!” I exclaimed.  “Why can’t you just mind your own business?”

“Because you’re my brother and I care about you.  I won’t let anyone use your feelings as a weapon for vengeance.”  She crossed her arms and looked at me expectantly.

I sighed.  As pushy as my sister was, I knew she came from a good place.  Besides, if I didn’t tell her, she’d bring Emmett into this.  He couldn’t keep something like this a secret to save his life. 

I told her everything starting with my pity party at Jacob’s wedding, to my birthday wish and Leah granting it on the dining room table.  I even mentioned our little rendezvous at Charlie’s 50th.

Alice hurriedly scooted away from the table, nearly toppling backwards.  “First thing, we have to find someplace else to talk.  There’s no way I’m ever sitting at this table again.”  Her brow crinkled as she stared at the table.

I rolled my eyes and we headed to the living room.  She could be so dramatic, sometimes.  I took a seat on the couch and rested my feet on the coffee table. 

“This has been going on since Jake’s wedding?” Alice took a seat on the couch, folding one leg in front of her, the other hung over the edge barely touching the floor.

“Yep.”  It had been about two months since this whole thing started and it was probably the best two months of my life. 

“And no one knows?”

“Well, Leah says that Rosalie Hale knows, but that’s it.”  I finished my beer and set the empty bottle on the coffee table.

“Jake doesn’t even know!” Alice exclaimed. 

I shook my head.  “I didn’t know how he would react.  Leah may not be his sister, but he treats her like one.  It would be just the same as me sleeping with Rachel or Rebecca.  You remember when he flipped out when he found out that Paul and Rachel slept together once.”

“Are you going to tell him?”

I shrugged.  “Maybe one day.  Maybe we’ll just keep this between me and her…and you and Rosalie.”

Alice looked soberly at me.  “I get it, you know.  You’ve been in love with her since you were ten, but don’t you wonder if she’s just using you to get Sam’s attention, like she holding a grenade and just waiting for the right time to let it explode?”

“Leah’s not like that,” I argued.  Alice didn’t see how happy Leah was with me and how the light that used to shine bright before was slowly burning again. 

“She’s scorned, Edward.  Sam’s sleeping with her cousin.  It’s not some unknown bimbo he met at a bar; he’s sleeping with someone she’s known her entire life.  You’d be surprised at what you’d do when someone betrays you like that.”

I remembered Alice telling me how angry she was when she found out James was sleeping with Victoria, one of Alice’s closest friends.  I also remembered hearing about James finding his 1967 cherry red mustang covered in scratches as well as four slashed tires.  He never investigated it, though.  He’d had a lot of scorned women to fear, and it could have been any of them.  Alice never admitted it, but I knew she did it.  But Alice didn’t even have a parking ticket.  No one would ever think to blame sweet, innocent Alice.   

“When this whole thing started, it was supposed to just something for self-satisfaction.  I was still angry with Bella for cheating on me, and Leah was pissed at Sam for cheating on her.  It really was supposed to be a onetime thing, something that we could remember and have the last laugh about.”

“That’s not your only problem.”  At my look of confusion she said, “You are aware who Leah is married to, right?  Dad will flip when he finds out that you’re sleeping with his rival’s daughter-in-law!”

“I don’t care what dad thinks!” I shouted, as I stood up with a rush.  “I can’t do anything right in his eyes anyway.  Besides, he’s only going to find out if you tell him.”  I shot her a warning look.

“I’m not going to say anything.”  She held her hands up in surrender.  “But what if you get caught?  What if it wasn’t me at your door earlier?  It could have been Jacob or Emmett or worse, mom and dad.  Then it depends on which one of you gets caught first.”

“Sam cheated first.”

Alice shrugged.  “It won’t matter if you get caught first.  You’re the one sleeping with a married woman, Edward.  And Leah? Forget it.  She’ll be seen as some slut who couldn’t keep her legs closed.  The whole town will be talking about it for years.  Sam on the other hand will be seen as the poor guy whose heart was broken by that evil harpy, Leah Clearwater.  Is that what you want?”

“Of course not!”

“Then you need to end it.”  Alice grabbed my arm and held my gaze.  “There are plenty of great, single women in this town that would be happy to help you get over Bella’s transgressions.  They’ll give you their love and children if you want them.”

“But what about what I want.  Leah makes me happy and we have fun together.”

“Well, I hope you’re prepared to move when this thing blows up.  You’re bubble is about to pop.  The question is how many people are going to get covered in shit when it does.”

 


	6. Six

**Six**

Leah

 

_Please talk to me._

Those four simple words were enough to shatter my heart. Edward had been reaching out to me since Alice caught us. Instead of facing the issue, I’d hidden my head in the sand and hoped that all the issues would resolve themselves.

After avoiding contact with him for over a week, he sent that text. It was like I could feel his heart breaking. Mine was breaking too, especially after making my final decision. This had to end.

I was so afraid of what being near him again would do to me. Edward and I had somehow wandered to a new territory, and I wanted so badly to stay there with him, but I had ties to my current one. Promises were made and I had to at least try to keep them.

It was time to face the music. I gathered up the courage to see him. I needed someplace somewhat public. The two of us in a private place usually ended with both of us naked which would make breaking things off that much more difficult. His office seemed like the best option. I could talk to him in private, but we wouldn’t get in trouble with kids in the building.

His office was on the second floor of small building downtown. I decided to take the stairs to prolong the inevitable. My feet became heavier and heavier with each step. 

The bell above the door chimed as I walked in. His lobby was a nice size, not too big, but enough so patients didn’t feel cramped. It was very welcoming. The walls were painted a light blue with pictures of cartoon fish. Since it was near the end of the day, the lobby was empty.

A petite woman looked up from the reception desk. Her honey golden hair was pulled back in a messy bun and she wore purple hospital scrubs. She had a sweet demeanor, her smile warm and inviting. Her name tag read, ‘Esme’.

“Hello there,” she said politely. “How can I help you?”

I walked past the toys and parenting magazines and headed toward the counter. “I’m looking for Dr. Masen. Is he available?”

“He’s finishing up with his last patient, but I’ll let him know you’re here.” She gestured toward the chairs. “Make yourself at home. We’re closing soon, so it shouldn’t be long.”

“Thanks.” I took a seat and twisted my wedding band around my finger anxiously. Whenever I was with Edward, I had taken it off. Now the damn thing didn’t fit right anymore.

I’d practiced what I was going to say in my head over and over again, but I should have known better. Edward and I didn’t work with scripts. We just went with the flow. That was one of the great things about what we had. There wasn’t any over thinking or over analyzing. It was just me and him.

To keep my mind occupied, I picked up a Highlights magazine. It was one of my favorites when I was younger.

Just as I was about to find the hidden rake in the picture, I heard Edward’s voice. “Okay, make sure she takes the antibiotics until they’re all gone, even if she’s feeling better.” 

He was talking to a woman, her child stood in front of her. The little girl sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

“Thank you, Dr. Masen.” She shook Edward’s hand.

“You’re welcome.” Edward smiled then looked down at the little girl. “You were very brave today.” He reached into his pocket and grabbed an orange lollipop.

The little girl’s face lit up as she took the treat.

“What do you say?” her mother admonished.

She looked up at Edward with doe eyes. “Thank you, Dr. Masen.” She smiled brightly at Edward. He had that effect on people, especially females. Seeing him smile turned us into puddles at his feet.

“You’re welcome.” Edward patted her head affectionately. He waved at them as they left.

His green eyes hit me, causing the air to rush out of my lungs. It was so good to see him again. I wanted to run into his arms. I wanted to listen to his heart thrumming in his chest while his fingers played in my hair. I wanted his lips crushing mine. Seeing him again made me realize how much I had missed him, and I wondered if I had the strength to walk away. 

“Hi, Edward.” As much as I wanted to pull my eyes away, I couldn’t. It had been too long since I’d been near him.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “How have you been?” He lowered his head slightly and looked at me through his lashes.

Miserable. “I’ve been okay.” I smiled weakly.

“So, you got my text.”

“Yeah, that’s why I’m here.” I stood up and twisted my fingers together. “We need to talk.”

“Yeah.” He ran his hand through his hair. “We do. Come with me.”

I followed him back to his office. It wasn’t gigantic, but it had a nice view of the streets below.

The door clicked shut behind me, and I felt his hand brush the small of my back as he walked by. He did that whenever we were together. It was comforting, soothing, a reminder that he was there. I loved it, and I would miss it.

“I’m not going to like this, am I?” He laughed harshly as he leaned a hip on his desk.

Tears felt like venom in my eyes, and I blinked furiously. Neither of us was going to like this. I started pacing the room, knowing his eyes were following my every move. “Edward…I…”

The words were stuck in my throat, fighting to stay down. It hurt so much to say this, to let him go, but I needed to. It wasn’t fair to bring him inside my failing marriage.

“I think I know what you’re going to say, Leah.” He stopped my pacing by grabbing hand. “But I need you to listen to me first.”

I started to protest, but he silenced me with a finger to my lips. “You need to know how I feel, how I’ve always felt when it comes to you. I know that Alice catching us rattled you, but this doesn’t have to end.” He grabbed my other hand and kissed my fingers. “She’s not going to say anything, honey. We can still be together.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You honestly think we can continue this?”

“Not like this.” He breathed out slowly. “I know that this wasn’t planned, but I can’t imagine my life without you.” His green eyes sliced right through me, hitting my soul like a bolt of lightning.

“Edward.” I pulled my hands away slowly and walked to the other side of the room. I needed to get away from him. My courage was melting under him. “I’m married.”

“Leave him, Leah.” he said in a low voice.

I whipped my head around. “What?”

“Leave him.” He said it slower as he stood up. He walked toward me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “Are you going to tell me that he loves you when he’s sleeping with your cousin?”

I looked down. “I can’t just give up on my marriage because we’ve hit a rough spot.”

“A rough spot!” Edward exclaimed. “Are you kidding? He’s sleeping with another woman. You’re sleeping with me. Obviously, the marriage is over!”

“I made vows, Edward. I have to at least try and fight for him, for my marriage.”

“Are you going to tell him about us?” Edward asked.

“No.” I shook my head adamantly. “Even if I admit that I’ve been unfaithful, I would leave you out of it. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Edward smirked. “I wouldn’t care if you did tell him, Leah.” His smile grew. “In fact, I’d love to see his face when he finds out that I was taking care of your needs properly.”

“He probably wouldn’t care,” I muttered.

“Oh, he’d care.” Edward chuckled. “It’s a male pride thing. He would want you to understand about Emily, but he’d be devastated if he knew you did that to him.” Edward’s looked at me mischievously as he moved closer to me. His arms trapped me against the wall. “If he knew that you showed up on my doorstep dressed in nothing but ribbon, offering to grant my wish, he’d hit the roof.” His lips tickled my ear as he spoke. “If he knew the things we did and the places we did it, he’d be very, very angry.” Edward laughed. “It would be worth it to see the look on his face when he finds out that he didn’t know you at all and kicking himself for not bothering to find out.”

Edward’s words made me feel hot, anxious, and aroused. 

“Isn’t this how this whole thing started?” His words brushed against my neck. “You came to my house out for revenge for Sam’s infidelities.” His fingers grazed my neck and moved lower. “Don’t you remember?”

“Of course, I remember,” I answered breathlessly. I couldn’t move. I could only let his fingers dance across my exposed skin.

“The last time you slept with him, did he make you scream?” His dropped his forehead to mine. “Did he make your body tighten and release?”

“No.” Only Edward had taken the time to discover my secrets and my deepest desires. “Only you.”

“Then stay with me, Leah.” He squeezed my shoulders as he spoke. “Leave him. I don’t know why you have this loyalty for Sam. He doesn’t seem to have any for you.”

“What about Bella? Doesn’t this have something to do with her, too?”

“My only thoughts of Bella are about our divorce being finalized. The sooner I cut times with her, the sooner we can both move on. It’s obvious that things are getting serious between her and Riley.” He didn’t sound bitter or hurt anymore, just content. “We could move on, too. You and me.”

My eyes widened. What exactly did he mean by move on? Did he want me to move in with him, get married, or just announce to the world that were together?

“Do you still love him?” Edward’s voice pulled me back to the present.

I sighed and looked away. “Yes.”

He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. “Are you in love with him?”

My eyes closed as he slowly invaded my personal space, comforting my unease. This was what it was like with Edward. All of my problems seemed miles away.

“I…I don’t know.” It came out as a whisper.

“I love you, Leah.” He grabbed both of my hands and held them to his chest. “It’s always been you, baby. Since the day I met you and you accidently wasted root beer on my shirt, you’ve had me. I know you, Leah. I know what makes you smile, what makes you cry, what parts of your body you loved caressed, all of it. Does Sam even have a clue anymore? Does he even know who you are?”

I bit my lip and avoided his eyes, but leaned into him.

“Are you going to stand there and tell me you don’t feel something for me, that you don’t want this?” His hands eased around my waist, wrapping me in those loving arms.

“Of course, I feel something for you!” I stepped out of Edward’s embrace. “That’s why I’m doing this. I want what’s best for you, and that’s not me.” I looked down at my wedding ring again. “You deserve better.”

“I want you, Leah.” He tried to pull me back to him. “You are what’s best for me. Leave Sam and stay with me. We can move away if you want and start over. Please.”

“Edward, we can’t.” I placed my hand on his cheek.

“Why not? What’s holding you back? Are you afraid of what people with think? Because I don’t care.”

“It’s complicated, Edward.” 

He groaned and walked away from me. “Are you serious, Leah? He’s cheating on you and you’re looking the other way like everything is still roses and sunshine! Wake up!”

“I am awake, Edward!” I shouted back. “You’re the one living in a fantasy! Relationships that start like this—” My finger pointed between the two of us. “—never end well.”

“What the hell happened to you?” He looked at me with wide eyes. “What happened to that fearless woman who didn’t let people walk all over her?”

“I grew up, Edward,” I mumbled. “We can’t have everything we want.”

“I know you, Leah. I’ve seen the real you that you choose to keep hidden from everyone. You know why, because you’re yourself when you’re with me. Staying with Sam is killing you.”

“God, Edward, don’t make this hard!” I rubbed my hands down my face. The tension was sucking the air out of the room and it felt hot. Edward was standing there, his arms folded, his face a grimace. I touched his arms, hoping to release the tension. “I love you too, Edward, but I still love Sam.” I ran my fingers down his cheek. “That’s the reason I have to do this. You deserve someone who has everything together and knows what she wants. You deserve to be loved.”

“Leah, please don’t leave me.” There was pain in his eyes, pain that I caused, pain that I wanted to take away.

I stepped up on my toes and kissed his lips. His hands came around me, pulling me to him in a tight hold. There was a mixture of passion and desperation in his kiss. As I tried to pull away, I felt his arms tighten. I wanted nothing more than to stay right there, but I couldn’t.

The tears flooded my eyes.  “I have to go.” I tried to stifle a sob with a hiccup.

“Leah…please stay.” He wiped away a runaway tear from my cheek. “Stay with me.”

“I’ll never forget what we had together.” I freed myself from his grip and ran, refusing to look back. I was both relieved and hurt that he didn’t come after me. But it was better this way.

I ran out of the office, ignoring Esme’s goodbyes. Tears were streaming down my face as I rushed down the stairs. By the time I got to my car, I crying uncontrollably.

 

~*oOo*~

 

 

Things went from bad to worse. A few days later, my principal had called me in his office to tell me that my teaching position was being eliminated due to budget cuts, although he wished me “good luck in my employment endeavors”. After finals, I would be officially unemployed.

A lot of the high schools in the area were on a hiring freeze, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I’d have to tell Sam, too. I didn’t think he’d be too upset. He’d made more than enough money to support both of us, and he’d told me a number of times that he preferred me at home, but I loved teaching.

I was supposed to stay after school and monitor detention, but I’d switched shifts with another teacher who wasn’t getting laid off. Yes, I used the guilt trip of having to explain it to my husband. She said she understood and wished me luck.

I was hoping to have a few hours to myself, so I could come up with a plan. My mind would toss images of Edward around if I sat at home all day. The best thing to do after a break up is to stay busy, so I needed to get out there and find a new job.

My plans were shot when I opened the garage. Sam’s black Camaro was parked in his spot. I groaned and gathered my things and headed inside.

“Sam!” I set my keys on the kitchen counter. “Sam! Are you home?”

A knocking noise came from above and an uncomfortable feeling settled in my stomach. Slowly, I made my way upstairs. That queasy feeling intensified as I made it to the top step. The bedroom door was cracked open and sounds of music and soft moans escaped.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I said aloud, not that anyone heard me over the music.

The closer I got to the bedroom, the angrier I became. The door whined as I pushed it open, and I saw Emily’s naked back as she gyrated on top of Sam. She wasn’t without dramatics. She was so noisy; it was obvious that she was faking it for Sam’s benefit, but it was encouraging him all the same.

“That’s it, baby,” he growled as he squeezed her hips. “Just like that.”

At that moment, I saw red. My purse it the floor and I headed to the stereo and shut the music off. The both looked at me, as I stared at them harshly. Emily screamed and scurried under the sheets and Sam bellowed at her hasty escape.

“Leah!” Sam said with wide eyes as he tried to recover. “What…are you doing home?”

“The question is, what are you doing home, but I guess I already know what you’re doing.” I looked at Emily who cringed behind Sam.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Sam said, hurriedly. His eyes moved to the ceiling as if the perfect lie was written on there.

“Oh yeah? Well, unfortunately, my bullshit quota has been filled for today.” I picked up Emily’s clothes and threw them at her. “You! Get out, right now! We are done! We are not family anymore; we are not friends. You are dead to me!”

“I drove her here, Leah,” Sam explained quietly.

“She’s got a phone. She can call a cab.” I looked back at Emily who was in the process of putting on her panties. “Maybe if you suck the driver’s dick, he’ll give you a ride for free.”

I watched her eyes widen and she even had the audacity to blush. “Leah…”

“You’ve got ten seconds to get out before I kick you out naked on your ass!” I pointed toward the door. When my warning didn’t register, I walked up to her until my face was inches from hers. “Don’t test me, bitch. You know I’ll do it.”

There were no more protests. She just hurried out of the room, carrying her clothes in a bundle. Eventually, I heard the front door open and close.

“And you!” I looked back at Sam. “You lying, dirty, son of a bitch.”

“It’s not serious with Emily.” Sam grabbed his boxers and pulled them on. “It’s just lately, you’ve been distant and I needed something. Emily was there.”

“Oh, so this is my fault.” I patted my chest. “I’m the reason you buried your dick in my cousin. Is that what you’re saying?”

He was sweating from his sexual adventure, and I wanted to vomit. What made me think that this was worth saving? After ending things with Edward, catching Sam and Emily again was overwhelming. It felt like my heart was going to explode.

“Lee-Lee.” I felt his slimly hands on my shoulder.

“Don’t touch me!” I shouted. Before I had a chance to think about it, my hand balled up in a fist, hitting him right in the eye. “Don’t ever touch me again!”

“Fuck, Leah!” He bellowed and put a hand to his eyes to ease the sting. My hand was hurting too, but it wasn’t about to let him see that. “What the hell did you do that for?”

“If you ever, EVER touch me again, I’ll do worse!”

“It won’t happen again,” he whined. His eye was already turning red from where I hit him. “I got it out of my system. I’m done.”

“Do you really think I’m stupid, Sam?” I eyed him suspiciously and then laughed. “Of course you do. I’ve known for a while you were sleeping with her and didn’t say anything.” His mouth fell open in surprise. “For some reason, I believed we could save this, save us. But I’m a fool.”

I headed to the closet and grabbed a duffle bag.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He was examining the damage to his eye in the mirror.

“I’m leaving, Sam!” I threw the duffle on the bed. “I’m done with this shit. I’m done letting you or anyone else walk all over me.”

“And where will you go, Leah?” He was mocking me. “Your mom’s house? Rosalie’s? You need to seriously think about what you’re doing before you make a mistake.”

“The only mistake I made was falling for your bullshit, but I’m happy to say that’s something I can fix.” I pulled random clothes out of the drawers and threw them haphazardly in my bag. “I gave up a lot for you, Sam. More than you’ll ever know and how do you repay me? By sleeping with my cousin on my five hundred thread count sheets.”

“And what did you give up, Leah? Huh?” He was shouting now. “You live in this big home with anything you could possibly need.”

“I needed you, damn it!” The tears were in my eyes, and I prayed that he wouldn’t notice. I waved my hand around. “Did I ask for any of this shit? You’re the one who had to drive the newest Camaro, had to buy the biggest house, and flaunt how much money you make. All I wanted was you! Just you!”

“Oh, don’t give me that bullshit, Leah!” His voice was loud in the bedroom. “You and I haven’t had sex in almost six months. Anytime I tried to touch you, you turned me down. So yeah, Emily was offering and I took it. I have needs too, Leah.”

I wanted so badly to tell him about Edward, but I had hurt Edward enough. God, how I wished that I could go back in time and make things right with him.

“Do whatever you want, Sam,” I said, as I walked into the bathroom. “I don’t care anymore. We’re done.”

“Yeah, we’ll see about that.” He stood there watching me packing my things like he had me all figured out.

He followed me silently as I dragged my bag to the garage and threw it in the trunk.

“I’ll be back to pick up the rest of my stuff,” I said, as I slammed the trunk closed. 

“Yeah, sure.” His grin was maddening. “Whatever you say, Leah.”

I wanted to punch him again and knock that smug look off his face, but my hand was already throbbing. Instead, I hopped in my car and pulled out of the garage. Sam’s grin stuck in my head like a bad song as I drove away.

I was sure that Emily was lurking around somewhere, waiting for me to leave so they could finish.

As I stopped at a red light, my hands shook with both anger and sadness. In an effort to keep Sam, I lost the one person I truly loved. Now, they were both gone.

My heart wanted me back with Edward, in the comfort of his arms, but I couldn’t face him. Not after the way I’d left things. And what if he didn’t take me back?

“Damn it!” I shouted and hit the steering wheel, hurting my hand even more. “Damn it, damn it, damn it! How could I be so naïve, so blind? What the hell is wrong with me?” I looked in my rearview mirror. I didn’t recognize the woman looking back at me. She was torn, broken, betrayed.

A horn blared behind me and my eyes shifted to the green light above me. I hit the gas, even though I didn’t know where I was going.

My first instinct was to go to Rosalie’s house, but Sam would know where I was and I couldn’t even look at him, let alone talk to him. I needed to get out and away.

Instead, I found myself on the interstate, heading to Port Angeles.


	7. Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I know it's Edward's turn, but I didn't want to leave Leah hanging.
> 
> Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. The plot line is mine. The song, Your Love is King, is sung by Sade. It's optional, but I suggest listening to it.

**Seven**

Leah

_Your love is king_

_Crown you in my heart_

_Your love is king_

_Never need to part_

_Your kisses ring_

_Round and round and round my head_

_Touching the very part of me_

_It's making my soul sing_

_Tearing the very heart of me_

_I'm crying out more_

"Damn it!" I turned the radio off. It was the fifth time I'd had to change the station. Every damn song reminded me of Edward. Edward used to play Sade's music all the time. This song in particular was a favorite of mine and whenever I heard it, I thought of Edward. His love  _was_  king.

The silence wasn't any better. My thoughts drifted to Edward without the music. I could see his mischievous smile, hear his chuckle, and feel him touching me. It was like he was haunting me.

_Is this my punishment for destroying him?_

My cheeks were wet again. I didn't think I had any tears left, yet here they were, reminding me of the fool I'd been. I was angry that I'd given so much to a man who didn't care for me the way I wanted him to, but ignored the man who was willing to give me the world. I wasn't any better than Sam.

As much as I hurt Edward, I couldn't regret being with him. Our relationship shifted right under my nose. I was clueless, or maybe it was denial. It had been a long time since someone treated me with the tenderness Edward did. We'd made love countless times, but there were times that stood out, one in particular.

One night, he'd made me dinner at his house. Edward had a nice size backyard. A wooden deck took up most of the space, but it was perfect for entertaining guests. Off to the side, there was a huge, state of the art grill. Soft music played from the open French doors as he flipped burgers. He'd joked that listening to soft music kept him from burning the food.

Watching Edward cook was hot. He stood in front of the grill, flipping steaks while swaying to the music. He looked so good in his t-shirt and track pants that were snug enough to see the contours of his ass. Then he'd take a sip of his beer, tilting his head back slowly, displaying his beautiful neck. I could watch him for hours.

I wasn't surprised that the food was delicious. Edward was good with his hands. Really, really good.

Later that night, we made love slowly. He was so gentle and loving and giving. I'd fallen asleep, naked and in his arms, with his soft words in my ear. "Goodnight, Beautiful."

_I woke up, sliding my arm over the sheets, seeking out Edward's touch. His space was empty. After rubbing my eyes, I looked at the clock. The blue light told me it was two-thirty in the morning._

_"Edward?" I said while yawning and sat up._

_After clicking on the light, I saw that the adjacent bathroom was dark and empty. It was his house, so I knew he couldn't have gone far. Lazily, I got up and slipped on one of his pajama shirts. The bottom just barely brushed my thighs. After I fastened the last button, I headed out to the living room._

_"Edward?" I called out, stepping on my toes because the floor was cold on my bare feet._

_I found the back door slightly open and it creaked when I pushed it further._

_It was dark outside, the only light coming from a dim lamp and the moon. Edward sat on the couch, his feet crossed at the ankles on the table in front of him, with his hands threaded together over his bare torso._

_"Hey, what are you doing out here?" The wind breezed over me and I rubbed my arms. It was a little chilly out there, especially just wearing a shirt and nothing else._

_"Oh, I'm sorry, Leah." He smiled crookedly. His eyes moved from my bare legs to my face. "A patient called and I stepped out to answer it, but couldn't go back to sleep. You looked so peaceful; I didn't want to wake you."_

_The dim lighting danced over his skin, almost making it shimmer. His hair was a mess from either my hands or sleep or possibly both. He only had on his plaid boxers and looked so delicious._

_"Are you cold?" When I nodded, he reached out for me. He rubbed my shoulder as I breathed him in deep and tightened my arms around his waist. God, he smelled so good._

_"It's beautiful tonight," he commented as he dropped a kiss on my head._

_"Yes, it is."_

_The stars twinkled in the sky, but their brightness was nothing compared to the moon. It was full that night and so majestic._

_He chuckled a little which seemed odd._

_"What are you laughing about?" I asked, trailing my fingers over his chest._

_"I'm wondering if you really came out here in nothing but my shirt." He shifted so he could look at me. "Because if you did, that's so sexy!"_

_I giggled. "I don't know how sexy I am with my hair a mess and no makeup."_

_"What are you talking about? You're always sexy."_

_"I know you're just being nice, Edward," I answered nonchalantly._

_"I'm serious." His expression made my heart pump hard in my chest. The emotion he emitted seemed palpable, wrapping around me like a blanket. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. Even now, with your hair a mess and no makeup. Don't ever let anyone tell you any different."_

_He silenced any protests I could have come up with a deep kiss. His hand held my neck gently, his thumb rubbing the space behind my ear._

_"Have you ever made love under the stars?" He unfastened the first two buttons of my shirt._

_I shook my head dumbly, my lips tingling from his intense kiss. I'd be lying if the thought of making love under the stars didn't intrigue me. To be honest, I'd always wanted to experience that. It seemed so romantic and intimate, even though we were outside._

_"Neither have I, but I'd love to experience it with you first." He unfastened another button and his hand dipped inside my shirt._

_"What if someone sees us?" I asked biting my lip as he lightly pinched my nipple._

_"It's two thirty in the morning. Whoever's awake at this hour is probably doing something a lot more exciting them watching us. It's hard to see anything from this angle, anyway." His eyes challenged me. "So, what do you say? Wanna make love, baby." That beautiful smile appeared and all opposition flew away with the wind._

_I answered him with a kiss. His hand was still on my breast. Suddenly, he pulled away with a groan._

_"I gotta go get a condom." He started to move when I stopped him._

_"You don't need one." His mouth dropped open, and I took advantage of his silence. "I'm on birth control and I haven't been with anyone but you since this started. Not even Sam. I've been tested and I'm clean." I studied the uncertainty on his face. "Unless you don't feel comfortable…"_

_"No, I'm just surprised, I guess." He smiled slowly. "It's only been you since Bella and I separated. And I'm clean, too."_

_I waited anxiously with my heartbeat thumping in my ears. Finally, he kissed me again and pulled me until I was straddling him. He finished unbuttoning the shirt revealing my nakedness, but didn't take it off completely. His kisses were slow and drawn out. The eased down my body like molasses. He took his time, teasing and tasting my nipples sensually. His hand went under the shirt and gripped my ass, pulling me closer. God, I loved it when he did that._

_My body was humming with need, and I was going to go crazy if he didn't do something._

_"Sit up for me," he said, placing a hand on my hip to steady me. I rose up on my knees, placing my hands on his shoulders for balance._

_His hand went between my legs and began exploring. His fingers were magic, slipping in and out of my folds. And then he found it. The place he knew so well, the one that had his name tattooed on it._

_I moaned and my knees trembled. I didn't know if I would be able to hold myself up any longer._

_"Edward," I whimpered and gripped his shoulders, my nails digging in. I hoped I wasn't hurting him. The tremors started from my lower belly and were threatening to explode. My hips moved involuntarily while Edward's hands played me like an instrument. Just when I was about to fall over the edge, he stopped._

_"Edward?" I whined breathlessly._

_"I'm sorry, baby." The grin he gave me told me he wasn't sorry at all. That smile was mischievous and calculating._

_My body was a burning with need, carnal need. I was on fire and it felt like he'd just thrown water on me instead of gasoline._

_"Edward, please," I whined._

_He laughed again, and I was too turned on to be angry._

_He popped the top snap of his boxers, setting that beautiful stalk of pleasure free. It glistened in the moonlight with precum and I licked my lips in anticipation._

_"Come here." He urged me closer and I trembled when I felt the head of him bump my clit. "Will this make it better?" He rubbed it up and down my sensitive slit, leaving just the tip inside. "Is this what you want?"_

_I nodded, easing more of him inside. He was so close and yet so far away._

_Very slowly, he lowered me down until he was completely buried inside me. The sensations pushing and pulling were too much. At the same time, it wasn't enough. I wanted more; I needed more. I panted heavily as he stretched me, making himself at home._

_When I finally opened my eyes, I saw the need in his. His hands gripped my hips harshly as he panted heavily._

_I dropped my forehead to his and said, "Please tell me I don't have to be quiet because I don't think I can."_

_He laughed. "Make as much noise as you want, baby." He kissed me, and then moved my hips, helping me find our perfect rhythm. When Edward and I made love, we worked like a well-oiled machine. Each time brought he me down, I squeezed my inner walls. When he lifted me up, I turned my hips just a little to get a moan out of him. This was probably why sex was so much more with him. We gave as much as we got._

_"You're so warm, so tight, and you feel so fucking good!"_

_"Oh, God," I said, throwing my head back. "Oh, shit!"_

_He dropped his head to my neck. His teeth nipped at me, and that turned me on more. I felt my walls tremble and he moaned in response. There was something about that small amount of pain that increased the pleasure. It was like adding salt to something to make it sweeter._

_Eventually, my hips took over; Edward and I were just along for the ride. I felt my climax coming, and I knew it was going to be a big one. My moans became louder and longer. Edward's groan vibrated against my skin and he squeezed my ass._

_It hit me like a wall of water, wave after wave washing over me mercilessly. Edward's fingers dug in deep and he grunted, releasing into me._

_We were panting together, our hearts beating furiously._

_"That was…" I started._

_"Amazing, wonderful, fucking awesome." Edward laughed. He kissed me again._

_We were sticky and sweaty, so I made a suggestion. "I think I'm going to hop in the shower." I slowly got up, and his limp member slipped completely out of me. "Do you wanna join me?"_

_My shirt was still open, and I was angled so he could see my naked body. I curled my finger for him to follow. As soon as we were inside, I dropped the shirt and walked naked back to the bedroom. He stuck close behind me._

_As the hot spray washed over us, we bathed each other. Then the passion became too much. We'd barely made it out of the shower before we were kissing each again. We didn't even make to the bed, and we didn't even dry off. He just lifted me up on the counter and made sweet love to me right there, our bodies slippery and wet._

It was the night things started to really shift. We'd spent more and more time together and it became harder and harder to be without him. Falling asleep without him became a chore. It came to the point that I started sleeping in the guest room when Sam was home. Sleeping next to him felt like I was cheating on Edward.

_Edward._

None of this was fair to him. When I think of how I'd dragged the torn shreds of his heart through the mud to save something that was dead long ago, it tore me up. I was right about one thing. I didn't deserve Edward.

The best thing for me was to get away from everything and clear my head. That was how I ended up in Port Angeles, wandering around the Whispering Lakes subdivision.

My headlights hit the dreamcatcher on the porch of a light pink house, and I sighed with relief. "There it is!"

All of those winding roads looked the same after a while. I thought I'd never find my way.

When I cut the engine, the only thing I could hear was the throbbing of both my heart and my hand. My saving grace lived in that house, and I prayed she'd forgiven me.

There was only one way to find out.

I slowly got out of the car and walked to the front door. After pacing for a few moments, I finally got the courage to ring the doorbell. I waited and waited, making sure to stand in front of the peephole so she could see me.

What if she turned me away?

What if she told me I'd gotten what I deserved?

What if she hated me?

A dog barked behind the door and I heard claws scraping. The door slowly opened and I saw one of my oldest friends standing in the entryway. Her long black hair was pulled back in a braid, and her big brown eyes widened as they stared at me curiously.

"Leah?" she simply said. There was another bark, and I noticed the honey golden Great Dane standing next to her. "Stop it, Mufasa!" she scolded the dog and looked back at me.

"Hi, Rebecca." I smiled weakly.

Rebecca Black was one of my oldest friends. Rosalie and I used to hang out with her while we were in high school. But when I started dating Sam, she claimed that I'd changed. Rebecca never liked the influence Sam had on me. To her, it seemed like I was letting him run my life and make my decisions. When I agreed to marry him, she'd begged me not to go through with it. That ended in a huge fight. Harsh words were said and trust was broken. We hadn't talked much since, but she did invite me to her wedding a few years ago. She'd told me then that no matter what, she was still my friend and that I could always count on her.

Rebecca grabbed Mufasa's collar to keep him at her side. "What are you doing here?"

"I…I didn't have anywhere else to go." I rubbed my bruised hand, but kept my eyes on her. "I left Sam. It's over. It's been over for a long time. I'm so lost, I don't know which way is up."

Her face softened and she simply hugged me, but it opened the floodgates again. I held her tightly, like I was holding on to the last bit of my sanity.

"Come on inside." She pulled on Mufasa's collar so he would move aside. "We'll talk."

**~*oOo*~**

Great Danes are big dogs, and I mean, huge and Rebecca had two of them. Mufasa sat looking at me curiously, deciding whether I was a friend or foe. Sarabi, who was a little shy, sat slightly behind Mufasa. She was golden brown like Mufasa with a chocolate covered muzzle.

I wasn't surprised at their names. The Lion King was Rebecca's all-time favorite movies.

I adjusted the icepack on my hand and tried to look as nonthreatening as possible. "When did you get dogs?" I asked Rebecca as she came in with my duffle bag, my eyes never leaving Mufasa's.

"About a year ago." She dropped my bag on the floor and headed to the kitchen, petting Sarabi's head as she walked by him. "Kyle didn't want me to be lonely while he was gone." Her husband, Kyle, was a pilot and flew out of town often. "We didn't intend to get two, but they were the last two left and they seemed connected somehow. We couldn't separate them."

When Rebecca came out of the kitchen, she held a bottle of wine and two large glasses. "So, what happened to your hand?" She took a seat next to me, her dogs following closely.

"I punched Sam when I caught him screwing Emily…again." Mufasa sat on the floor next to Rebecca, while Sarabi moved closer to me.

"What do you mean, again? He's cheated on you before?" Rebecca opened the bottle and poured us each a glass.

I took a big gulp of wine. "I caught him a few months ago and Jake's wedding."

She swirled the liquid in her glass and shook her head. "That's why you were acting strangely when I tried to talk to you the reception. I thought it was me…"

"No, it was Sam." I dropped my head on the back of the couch. "Then I slept with Edward, which was supposed to make me feel better, but it just made things worse."

"Edward Masen? Jake's best friend?" Rebecca's eyebrows shot up. "Okay, wait. Start over, from the beginning." She topped my glass.

Mufasa and Sarabi seemed interested too, sitting quietly at our feet, but keeping their eyes on me like it was story time at a book store.

After a bottle and half of wine and a box of tissues, I'd revealed everything. Rebecca rubbed Mufasa's ear as she looked at me pensively.

"You were right about Sam, Becca," I said, sadly. "I should have listened to you."

Rebecca reached over and squeezed my uninjured hand. "I didn't want to be right, Lee. Not like this. I'm so sorry this happened."

"I don't know what to do or where to go? I have no job, no home, and no husband."

"Well, you're staying here with me." Rebecca held her head firm.

"Oh, Becca, I couldn't…"

She waved her hand. "No arguments. Kyle's out of town for until Thursday, so the house will be ours. Besides, it would be nice to talk to someone who can answer me back." She looked at Mufasa and Sarabi and smiled.

"I don't know…" I looked wearily at her dogs. I still wasn't sure if they liked me.

"At least stay tonight," she suggested as a compromise. "We'll talk about the rest later."

"Okay."

"Good, now tell me about Edward. What are you going to do?" She rested her head on her hand.

I laughed humorously. "I ruined that, Becca. I'd be surprised if he ever talks to me again."

"Do you want to be with him?"

"Yes, I do. He makes me happy, Becca."

"Then fight for him." She leaned forward. "Prove to him that you were wrong and show him that you want him and only him."

"I think it's too late, Becca." I frowned.

Rebecca shook her head. "It's not too late, Lee. Now that you got Sam out of your system, you're finally seeing what was right in front of you. Don't be stupid by letting it slip away again."

"You didn't see his face, Becca. I practically ripped his heart out and stomped on it." I wasn't confident that I could get Edward back, or that he'd even listen to me. He probably hated me, and I couldn't blame him.

Rebecca wiped a rogue tear from my cheek. "Just rest on it, okay? You're probably pretty tired, anyway."

I nodded.

There were so many things I needed to fix. First thing was filing for a divorce from Sam. Regardless of what happened with Edward, I was never going back to Sam. Then I needed to figure out where I was going to live and find a new job. My life had somehow tumbled on its axis, and I needed to right things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)


	8. Eight

**Eight**

Edward

"Edward, do you want another piece of pie?" Angela called from the kitchen.

"Well, maybe one more," I answered sheepishly. I was full from the pot roast and potatoes, but I couldn't deny another serving of apple pie. "Thanks, Angela."

Jacob had invited me over for dinner, which meant I had to cancel my plans of pinning after Leah all day. It was a good tradeoff. Angela was a great cook. Good thing, because Jacob loved to eat.

"My wife makes the best apple pie, doesn't she?" Jacob said, kissing her cheek. "It's one of the many reasons I married her."

"Oh, yeah?" Angela said, playfully pushing him away. "What are the other reasons?"

"Come on, Angie. We can't talk about  _that_  in front of company." Jacob wiggled his eyebrows.

Angela gasped and smacked Jacob's arm, as the blood rushed to her cheeks. "Jacob Black!"

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Oh, honey, you know you love me."

I watched their playful exchange from the counter and smiled. One thing about Jacob and Angela was that they were in marital bliss, but not annoyingly so. Sure they were playful, but they weren't the type of couple that had to show the world how much love they had for each other. Their affection was natural.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, wiggling away. She grabbed the phone from the kitchen. "I'm going to check up on one of my kids. She's having a hard time adjusting to her new foster home." She hurriedly made her exit, but not before she received a light tap on her rear from her husband.

"Thanks for inviting me over, man," I said as I dove into my pie. "I haven't had a decent meal in a while."

"Truthfully, Angie was a little worried about you." Jacob grabbed the rest of the pie and joined me at the counter. "She said she saw you at the grocery store the other day and you seemed a little down."

"I've just been under a lot stressed lately," I answered. "I wasn't really doing anything, anyway."  _Just missing Leah_.

"Emmett told me that your divorce was finalized." Jacob took a large bite of pie right from the pan. It was a good thing I didn't want anymore.

"Yeah, I got the papers yesterday. Officially, I'm a free man."

"Then we need to go out and celebrate." Jacob lifted his hands up. "Women will be flocking to you like sharks on a piece of meat. It will be great. It's too bad nothing happened between you and Tanya. She seemed nice and she was gorgeous."

I lifted a shoulder. "She's beautiful and all, but she's just not for me."

"Yeah, I figured so. I've known you for years. If you're interested, you get that foo-foo look in your eyes." Jacob waved his hand in front of his face. "If not, she might as well be invisible. That's why I think we should go out. Maybe you'll see someone you  _are_  interested in."

"No, really, I'm fine. I don't need that." I shook my head. After losing Leah, the last thing I wanted was to start something with another woman.

Jacob eyed me as he swallowed another large bite of pie. "I think I know what's bothering you. It's Bella, right? She's engaged to that guy, and you're wondering if it was too quick."

The truth was that I wasn't really bothered by that anymore. I mean, it was great that Bella was happy, and I hoped that Riley could give her whatever she needed that I couldn't. However, I hadn't thought of Bella like that in long time.

"Maybe." I shrugged and stuffed another bite in my mouth.

"There seems to be a divorce bug going around," Jacob said.

"Who else is getting a divorce?" I asked, curiously.

"Leah left Sam." I suddenly had a fit of coughs rack my body. "You all right, man?" Jacob hit me a few times on the back. "I know it's good, but chew before you swallow."

I took a sip of water. "When did this happen?" I tried to be nonchalant, but it was hard with pie stuck in my throat.

"About a week ago. She caught him with Emily when she came home." Jacob shook his head. "Apparently, he'd been cheating on her for a while. Anyway, she moved out. Sam's being a dick, though."

"What else is new?" I muttered.

Jacob laughed. He knew that Sam and I never got along.

"Leah says that he's been calling her nonstop to try to get her to come home, but she's done. She won't even talk to him."

"Good for her," I said with a smile. It hurt that Leah and I weren't together anymore, but I was glad that she finally opened her eyes and saw Sam for the conniving asshole he was. "Where is she?"

"She's staying with my sister in Port Angeles. I'm glad she has someplace to go. When Leah refused to come home, Sam closed their joint banking account so she has nothing but whatever she took with her."

"What about work? Is she commuting from Port Angeles to school?"

"She was laid off."

"What?" My eyes widened. That had to be a rough blow. I knew how much she loved teaching.

"Yeah. That's how she caught them. She came home early and found them in the house."

"Oh, that sucks." I stared down at my pie. It's bad finding out your spouse was cheating you, but even worse catching them in the act. Twice. "So you're helping her move her things."

"Yeah. We went over there the day before yesterday, and Sam changed the locks on the house and he wasn't home." Jacob laughed. "Leah was really pissed, then. She took one of the potted plants and tossed it through the window. Of course, he'd changed the code on the alarm system, so the cops came out."

"Whoa."

"Yeah, and it was a good thing too. It turned into a shouting match when Sam showed up. He told her that it was her own fault and that if she came home, he'd give her new keys. He said he knew she couldn't survive without him. Then she said that if he pulled his head out of Emily's ass long enough, he'd realize that their marriage was over."

I laughed loudly at that. That's was the Leah I knew.

"When the cops got there," Jacob continued. "She had to explain that Sam changed the locks because she was leaving him. Sam argued that the house was his and that she left him."

"What an asshole!" I said, angrily.

"I know, right? Anyway, I'm supposed to go back with Leah, Rebecca and her husband to get the rest of her things this weekend. The house may be his, but she has every right to her things. So he has to let her in, and he can stay present if he wants. Apparently, this weekend is the only time he has available. Rebecca got her a storage unit for her things until she figures out what she's going to do."

"So she's living in Port Angeles?" I said. I wondered if I should try calling her. It had taken every bit of willpower I had to  _not_  call her, but I wanted to make sure she didn't need anything and that she didn't need me.

"Yeah, for now. She's not sure what she's going to do yet." Jacob finished the last of his pie. "But it gets better. It seems as if Sam wasn't the only one cheating."

"What? You think Leah cheated on Sam?" I asked, carefully gaging Jacob's expression.

"I  _know_  she cheated on him." Jacob headed to the refrigerator.

I pursed my lips, but I kept my composure. "And how do you know that?"

"I heard her talking to Rebecca about it." Everyone always said Jacob had dog ears. Jacob went to the fridge. "Do you want a beer?"

"No, I have to drive home." When Jacob came back to the counter, I said, "Do you know who she's cheating with?"

"Nah, but apparently it was pretty serious." Jacob twisted off the cap of his beer. "Leah was talking about how much she wanted to be with this guy, but she blew it to fix her marriage with Sam." He took a long sip.

"Does she know that you know?"

Jacob nodded. "I confronted her about it and told her tell me the truth."

"What did she say?"

"She denied it, said I heard it wrong." Jacob snorted. "I know what I heard."

"Well, Jake if she doesn't want to tell you…"

"She needs to tell me the truth." He leaned back in his seat. "There's more to the story and she's not telling me."

"She might have had a reason, Jake?"

"Then what's the reason?" Jacob's voice raised a little. "What kind of reason could she have that justifies cheating on her husband? She doesn't need to hide it from me, but I don't want to defend someone who was wrong first." He started picking at the label on his beer. "Anyway, we got into this huge fight, and Rebecca got involved and told me to mind my own business."

"So what now?"

"I told her I wouldn't help her until she told me the truth," he said, stubbornly.

"Jake!" I threw my hands up. "You just said that she lost her job, and Sam closed their account! She needs your help now!"

"I'm not saying I won't help her at all," Jacob said. "But she needs to be honest with me and tell me the truth. You of all people should understand."

"Because Bella cheated on me," I supplied

"Yeah. I think I have a right to know the whole story."

I knew Leah was trying to protect me. She knew that our affair may be a problem for Jacob. But Leah needed Jacob's help and apparently mine too.

"Jake," I started slowly. "Sam cheated first, okay. She caught him at your wedding in one of the back rooms with Emily."

"How do you know that?" Jacob raised an eyebrow.

I took a deep breath to help ready myself for his anger. "Because, Leah told me. She told me everything."

"Why would she tell you and not tell me?" He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Because, I'm the one she was sleeping with." I looked at him cautiously and watched his arms slowly fold over his chest.

"What?"

"I…Leah and I…we were together…for a while." I watched his face and then he did something unexpected. He laughed.

"Good one, Edward. I knew you had a thing for her once, but you'd never do something like that. She was married."

"She was married to a man who was sleeping with her cousin and treated her like shit, Jake. You know that. You've seen it. You've seen him fawning all over Emily right in front of her. Everyone has seen it. Have you heard the way he talks to her? He feels entitled and he makes her feel horrible."

"You're the one she was cheating on Sam with?!" Jacob repeated as if saying out loud would change things. He stood up and started pacing.

"Wait Jake, it's not like that." I held my hands up. "It wasn't just sex. I fell in love with her. I even wanted her to leave Sam and come with me."

"How did this all start?" Jacob asked, running his hands over his head a few times. "Did you just show up at her place because you were horny and she was vulnerable?"

"Come on, Jake." I looked at him sternly. "You know I wouldn't do something like that. If Leah was happily married to Sam, then this wouldn't have happened. But she wasn't happy with him. She hasn't been in a long time. I'm not getting into the details of how it happened, but it did." It wasn't a good idea to tell him that she showed up at my door in nothing but red ribbon.

I understood his apprehension. Even though they weren't blood related, he thought of Leah like a sister, and you just don't mess with Jacob Black's family.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Since my birthday." I laughed lightly at the memory. "She was my birthday present." My smile faded when I saw his face. "Listen, I mean it when I say I love her. I wanted her to stay with me, but she thought she could fix things with Sam. I haven't seen her since. She's all I've ever wanted. Anyway, that's the reason I've been in this funk lately. I miss her."

"So, while Sam was having an affair with Emily, you were sleeping with Leah."

"We were together, Jake," I corrected him. "We spent time together. When the woman of your dreams comes to you and you're single and pondering your choices when it comes to love, are you going to turn her away?"

Jacob scratched his head. "Damn man. Damn."

"You are happy with Angela, right?" I asked, and Jacob nodded. "Well, I was just as happy with Leah. How could I say no to that?"

Jacob sighed. "I don't know what to think, Edward. I knew something was off between Sam and Leah, but I thought things were getting better. Leah was smiling again. Now I know why." He squinted his eyes at me and then sighed heavily. "If she ended up with anyone, I guess it's good that it was you. It could have been worse. Paul's been trying to get into her pants for years."

"So you're not mad," I asked.

"I'm a little pissed that I you didn't tell me." Jacob punched my arm. "But I guess I understand. If I was sleeping with Alice, I'm not sure how I would tell you either."

"Is Leah okay?" I asked tentatively. "Does she need anything?"

"Why don't you call her and find out?"

"Because she wanted to cut off all ties." I looked down at my empty plate. "And I don't want to crowd her."

"That was when she wanted to save her relationship with Sam. Things are different now." Jacob walked into the kitchen drawer and pulled out a pen and notepad and scribbled down an address. "If you truly care about her, then go get her. If it was Angela, then I'd be on her doorstep right now."

Jacob handed me the scrap of paper and I stared at the address.

"Does Sam know where she is?"

"I doubt it, and I'm guessing that's why he trying to make her come home." Jacob leaned on the counter. "I'm sure it's going to get worse before it gets better and like you said. She needs help."

I folded the paper and slipped it in my pocket.

"Are you sure you're okay with me going after Leah. I don't want my feelings for her to be an issue."

Jacob laughed, and clapped my back a few times. "When has a woman ever gotten between us, Edward?"

"You're right. We have totally different tastes."

"So, are you going after her or what?" Jacob leaned forward over the counter. He had that plotting expression on his face.

"Well, I'm a hopeless romantic." I got up. "So I should go and make preparations."

"That's my boy." Jacob stood up and walked me to the front door. "But just know. If you break her heart, I will hunt you down." He held my neck a little tighter than expected.

"Yeah, I know." I eased out of his grip. "Thanks for dinner, and well, everything."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't get all mushy on me." Jacob pushed my shoulder.

I waved as I left his house and headed home. I had no idea how I was going to say when I saw her again.

Would she even want to see me?

Did I make things worse for her by telling Jacob?

All of those questions floated in my head, but I pushed them back. This was my shot at getting Leah back, and I wasn't going to waste it.

 


	9. Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here's the next chapter. I thought I write from a different perspective this time. Once again, there's no beta here, so please forgive my boo-boos!

 

**Nine**

Sam had a bitter taste in his mouth. It could have been because he was biting his tongue instead of fighting with Leah or the fact that he'd used everything in his arsenal to get her to come home and it didn't work. Or maybe it was the fact that Jacob and Rebecca's husband were taking down the 60inch flat screen television. Yeah, it was hers, but come on! He watched it most of the time! Where was she even going to put it?

Sam had watched silently for the last three hours while Leah removed herself from his life and couldn't do a damn thing about it. Not after the visit he'd received from Jacob two days ago.

_"Good, you're home," Jacob said when he made his way inside. "This won't take long. I just want to talk to you for a moment."_

_Sam groaned as Jacob plopped down on the couch._

_"What do you want, Jake?" Sam asked, dismissively. "I'm busy."_

_"What? Drinking away your problems?" Jacob picked up the half-empty glass of whiskey." You could be a gracious host and offer me a some." He raised his eyebrow haughtily. "No? Well, I guess it's just as well. I'm driving."_

_Sam took his drink from Jacob. He downed the rest of it in one gulp and headed to the liquor cabinet to make another._

" _Listen," Jacob said. "I just want to make sure we're on the same page about this weekend. Leah, Rebecca and her husband, and I are coming to get the rest of her things. I want to make sure we didn't have an incident like we had before. She's trying to move on, and you being a dick about it isn't going to change things. It's time you did the right thing, and let her do it."_

_"I said I'd be here, didn't I?" Sam grumbled, as he walked back into the living room. "What else do you want me to do?"_

_"That's good to know." Jacob slowly stood up. "Because I have to remind you that acting like a little boy who had he's toy taken away, isn't doing you any favors. I'd hate to have to get the chief involved. He's quite fond of her mother and would do anything for her children."_

_"Is that a threat?" Sam eyed Jacob._

_"Of course not." Jacob held his hands up innocently. "A threat would be telling you that if you keep harassing Leah, I'll kick your ass." His smile was big and bright, but the message came through loud and clear. "This is merely an agreement between civilized people."_

_Jacob Black was a big guy. Yeah, Sam was a pretty decent size, but it wasn't anything compared to the strength that Jacob had. While Jacob was in college earning his engineering degree, he moonlighted as a bouncer. In most cases, his expression chased the fight out of even the bravest drunks. Sam wouldn't admit it, but he would lose that fight and lose badly._

_"All right." Jacob moved toward the door. "I think I've taken up enough of your time. I'll be going."_

"Thanks for again for being a sport about this," Jacob said, knocking Sam out of his thought. "We all appreciate it, especially Leah. She's anxious to get past all of this."

Sam plastered on a smile and Jacob patted him harshly on the back, and then headed outside.

"Is that everything, Leah?" Rebecca asked. Leah was looking around the room, her face stoic.

"I think so," she said, softly. "Let me take one more walk-through to make sure."

"'Kay. We'll be outside."

Leah nodded and went upstairs. Sam waited patiently and quietly and picked up the divorce papers he'd received a few days before. She'd really gone through with it. It was strange, because he'd spent an entire day avoiding the papers, but once he'd read through them, he couldn't stop looking at them. He tried not to look at them, but the words "irretrievable broken" and "irreconcilable differences" kept popping out, burning into his mind.

How the hell did this happen? One moment he was enjoying life, and the next his wife was leaving him. Yeah, she'd caught him sleeping with her cousin, but it wasn't anything that they couldn't get past. Things like this made marriages stronger, right? Didn't Dr. Phil say something like that once?

He studied the papers again. She didn't want anything from him but a clean break. Most scorned women would want half of everything, and Sam had a lot, but Leah just wanted her maiden name restored and everything that she'd brought into the marriage. That made things harder. He didn't have anything to bargain with, which meant that he couldn't stop her.

"Sam?" Her voice was careful behind him.

He turned around and saw her standing with her hands in her back pockets, looking at him. He hadn't even heard her come back downstairs.

"Yeah?" Sam stood up to his full height.

She looked over at the papers on the table, then back at him. "Are you going to sign those?"

"Honestly, I was hoping we could talk…" he trailed off. "I mean, you can't want this?" He held the papers up.

Leah shook her head. "I want to be done with this, Sam. No more wondering where you are, or if you're with Emily on one of your business trips. I just want my freedom."

"We can go to therapy," Sam offered. "I've been thinking about it, and I think I might have, like, a sexual addiction or something."

Leah rolled her eyes. "Please, Sam. I'm not an idiot. It's done, okay? We're done."

"Leah, don't do this, please," he said, pleading with her.

She grabbed his hand and slipped something in his palm. "I don't need these anymore." Her face was serious and fierce. "Maybe you could give them to Emily. She seems to like things that belong other people."

Sam opened his palm. There were two rings; one was her engagement ring and the other was her wedding ring. That was when it truly hit him. Both were worth a lot of money, but instead of pawning them, she gave them back.

By the time he looked up, he saw his front door close.

She was gone.

 

**~*oOo*~**

Saturday mornings were Joshua Uley's favorite time of the week. It was his time to relax and take a load off from all the stress that accumulated throughout the week. Of course, when the chief promoted him, he'd have fewer Saturdays, but he didn't mind. It was a necessary sacrifice and one he'd happily make.

Joshua owned a condo in Seattle, which was his place to get away. It was also a place to keep his "secrets".

He sat on the balcony and watched the city wake up. The breeze was cool, but not unbearable, and amazingly the sky was somewhat clear. Some clouds lingered, but the sun was visible. It was the perfect day, until he saw his phone vibrating across the table.

"I should have left that damn thing inside."

He picked up his phone and saw a picture of his son flashing at him. Joshua debated whether or not to answer it. The last thing he wanted on such a lovely day was to listen to his son whine and complain about a mess he'd created. Cheating wasn't for amateurs. If done right, it could last for a lifetime. But Sam had shot himself in the foot and his wife had left him. He'd broken one of the rules. Never bring your mistress to your own bed. That's just asking to get caught.

Joshua was lucky. He'd had an agreement with his wife. Allison knew that Joshua wasn't faithful, and she looked the other way under one condition. Be discrete and don't embarrass her. Besides, once Sam was born, all of her attention went to him. It had been years since Joshua had even slept with his wife.

Finally the phone stopped ringing, and Joshua smiled as he leaned back in his chair. Then it rang again.

"Damn it," Joshua muttered. He picked up his cellphone and held it to his ear. "What is it, son?"

"Dad!" Sam's voice was frantic. "She left and I don't know what to do!"

"Did you apologize?" Joshua asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sort of," Sam's voice shrank, like a balloon being deflated.

"What do you mean, 'sort of'? Either you did or you didn't."

"Well, I told her that she couldn't live without me and I cut her off." Joshua snorted, but Sam continued. "She'd lost her job and I figured she would come back because she didn't have anywhere else to go, especially without money or a home."

"And how did that work out for you?" Joshua rubbed his forehead.

"It didn't. She served me divorce papers."

Joshua couldn't help but laugh. "So you pushed and she pushed you back, huh?" Sometimes his son had a head like a brick. "Women like your wife, or soon to be ex-wife, can't be pushed. You throw them into a corner, and she'll eat you alive. What did she ask for in the divorce?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing at all?" Joshua shot up. "She didn't want alimony, the house, or anything?"

"No. She just wanted her maiden name back. What do I do?"

It was time for some tough love. "Let her go. You've destroyed any chance you had with her with the threats. Be grateful she doesn't want anything from you, because honestly, she could've cleaned you out."

"But she's my wife." He started whining again. Allison had spoiled him rotten. This is what happens when a parent doesn't believe in the word, "no".

"Listen, if you're going to sneak around on your wife, you either need to be really, really good, or have an agreement with her. Cut your losses, son. Find someone else, and be smarter about things."

Joshua could tell Sam was pouting on the other end, but he could blame him. Losing a firecracker like Leah wasn't something easy to let go.

_She was probably an excellent lay, but leave it to my son to fuck that up!_

Joshua stood up and stretched then walked inside. In the kitchen, he saw his secret in the kitchen drinking coffee. She was only wearing one of his shirts.

"Sam, I have to go. I'm about to get into something."

His son mumbled a goodbye then Joshua threw the phone on the couch.

"Well, Emily. It appears as if you've destroyed my son's marriage." He joined her in the kitchen, watching her sashay seductively around the kitchen.

"That marriage was over a long time ago." Emily put the coffee much down. "Leah was miserable. I know, because she bitched about him all the time." Emily rolled her eyes. "How he didn't think about her needs in bed, how he never listened to her, how unappreciative he was, blah, blah, blah. I did Leah a favor and one day she'll thank me."

"I don't think she sees it that way," Joshua said, sardonically. "You slept with her family. That's hurts."

"Well, I slept with your son and you don't care." She batted her eyes.

"No, no, Emily. I never said I didn't care." Joshua grabbed her arm, pulling from the counter. "It bothers me that you used my son to try to manipulate me."

"Well, I had to get your attention," she argued feebly, keeping her eyes on Joshua. Her chest was rising and falling quickly. She was either turned on or scared. Probably a little of both. "I thought if you knew I was sleeping with your son, maybe you'd finally leave Allison."

"We've been over this, Emily." He trapped her against the counter. "I'm not leaving my wife, not matter which family member of mine you let between your legs."

"But you said you loved me," she said, her voice sounded like a little girl's.

"And I do, but I have a good thing with my wife. You are more than welcomed to walk away, but this is all you're getting from me." He pressed his growing erection against Emily's stomach. "The choice is yours."

Joshua looked into her calculating brown eyes and waited. She was trying to be strong and demand what she wanted, but Joshua knew it was futile. He owned her and they both knew it. No matter how many times she'd threatened to leave, she would always be back.

To test the waters, Joshua backed away. She grabbed his arm, her expression sad, but resigned.

"Don't leave." She gnawed on her lip.

His grin spread slowly across his face and his flicked his eyes quickly down. "Give me a reason to stay."

Very slowly, she lowered to the ground, taking his sweatpants with her. Moments later, there was wetness and warmth on his cock and he groaned.

"Oh, yeah," he said, threading his fingers through her hair. "Be a good girl and I'll give you a present."

She looked up at him, nodded, and continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!


	10. Ten

**Ten**

Leah

After two months, the light at the end of the tunnel changed from the size of a pinhole to a large flashlight. Things were looking up. While I was searching for a new teaching position, I was subbing at the local high school. I was still living in Rebecca's spare room. I didn't want to impose, but Rebecca said she didn't mind, and refused any money I tried to give her.

"You save that for your new life," she'd say with a huge smile as she closed my hand over the money. That didn't stop me from sneaking a little bit in the pocket of her jeans.

Sam had reluctantly signed the divorce papers, but he still called every now and then to ask me out to dinner so we could talk. There wasn't much I had to say to him. We were done. I couldn't even stand looking at him anymore. It was funny. There was a time when all I wanted was for Sam to make time for me, and now I wanted him to leave me alone.

The best news so far was my interview at the University of Washington. They were looking for adjunct professors for the fall semester. If I got this job, it could open the door to a fulltime teaching position. The interview went great, too. I looked the dean in the eye, held his attention, and felt we were on the same page with my purpose as a teacher. My hopes were high, and I didn't think anything could get me down.

That was until I walked into Panera Bread afterward. When Edward and I were together, we'd always end up there. We didn't have one back home, and their sandwiches were to die for. That was another bonus if I got the position at the University. Panera Bread was about ten minutes away from campus.

I placed my order—a grilled chicken salad— and took a seat. While I played on my phone, a shadow passed over me.

"Leah?"

I didn't have to look up to know who that voice belonged to, but I did anyway. Edward smiled at me, a tray of food in his hands. Seeing him again was like a shock to the heart. He still looked gorgeous. I was reminded of how people had told me he'd had a crush on me, and I didn't see it. How could I have missed someone so perfect for me?

It also reminded me of the idiot I was to let him go. As usual, he was beautiful, his hair in organized chaos, his green eyes bright and shining.

"Hi, Edward," I said softly. "How have you been?"

"Good." He didn't offer any more information, and his smile was tight.

Jacob had told me that Edward told him everything about us. He also said that it seemed like Edward was going to contact me. That call never came. Then Jacob said that Edward needed time. I gave it to him. Days went by, then weeks, and after the first month I started to lose hope. But that didn't stop me from thinking about him. I'd even practiced what I wanted to say to him the next time I saw him. Too bad that speech disappeared into thin air.

"So, I hear things are going well for you," Edward said, casually.

"Yeah." I nodded. "I think I like it here. Maybe getting fired was the best thing that happened to me."

"Maybe," Edward said. He started shifting uneasily. "Well, I should go. It was nice seeing you."

"You, too," I said, watching him slowly inch away. When would I ever see him again? Yeah, he was Jacob's best friend, but that didn't mean he had to talk to me. Throwing all caution to the wind, I said, "Edward, wait."

He turned around, and those green eyes stared at me inquisitively.

I stood up. "Listen, I know you probably need space and everything, but I've wanted to talk to you." I twisted my fingers together. "But maybe we could talk?"

The question hung in the air, while I held my breath.

"Um." He turned toward the dining area. "I'm here with someone."

It was then that I noticed that there were two meals on his tray. I looked over his shoulder at a table with a red haired woman staring back at us curiously.

"Oh," was all I could say. I felt like such an idiot.

"It was good to see you, though." His smile was awkward as he turned away and headed to the table. When he got there, he placed food in front of the woman. Her eyes went back to me briefly, then to Edward. I could tell they were talking about me.

My heart sank like a stone to the bottom of a lake. My good mood was gone just like that.

I couldn't even eat my salad, so I packed it up and took it with me. On the drive home, I cried. It hurt like a punch to gut with a gauntlet to see him with someone else. This was worse than catching Sam with Emily. Maybe because deep down I knew that relationship was dead and was afraid to admit it to myself. But I was still very much in love with Edward.

When I walked into the front door, Sarabi and Mufusa greeted me with cheerful barks. I gave them both a gentle pat.

"Hey," Rebecca said, coming from the kitchen. She saw the expression on my face and frowned. "Did the interview not go well?"

"Yeah." I went to the kitchen to put my salad in the fridge. "It went great. I think they might hire me."

"So, what's wrong?"

"I saw Edward at Panera Bread." I dropped down on the couch and took off my heels. "He looked so gorgeous and smelled so good."

"And?" Rebecca took a seat next to me and folded her legs underneath her.

"And he was with someone else." My head dropped back on the couch. "It was so embarrassing. I wanted to tell him that I missed him, and that I wanted him back. Then he said, he was there with someone."

A crinkle formed between Rebecca's brows. "Jake didn't mention anything about Edward dating someone new."

I laughed sarcastically. "That doesn't mean anything. Jake didn't know about Edward and me for months." I sat up. "The part that sucks is that I did this. This is completely my fault. I told him to move on and find someone who will love him the way I couldn't."

"He couldn't have been dating her long." Rebecca put her finger to her chin. "And if she was someone special, he would have told Jacob about her."

"Remember, Jake didn't know about Edward and me," I reminded her.

"He was keeping that secret for you, Leah." Rebecca squeezed my hand. "If it's serious, Jacob would know about it, and he doesn't. Jake wouldn't keep that from you."

"I don't understand how this is important?" I rubbed my feet.

"It means you have a shot at getting him back!" Rebecca said, clapping her hands together.

My eyes narrowed at her. "I just said he was on a date, Becca." I felt like I was talking to the wall.

"You love him, right?" When I nodded, Rebecca said, "Then fight for him. Let him know that you need him! If you don't, you'll always wonder what would have happened if you had just told him how you felt."

"What about his new girlfriend?"

"What about her? Like I said, they probably haven't been dating long." Rebecca waved her hand around. "It's not serious."

I sighed heavily. "I couldn't do that, not after what Sam did to me."

"But he wants to be with you, Leah." Rachel leaned back. "I know he does."

"I don't think I could take it if he turned me away. It's hard enough thinking about him not wanting me, but to hear him say it would be worse. I can't do that."

"Seriously?" Rebecca said incredulously. "You're Leah Clearwater, the same woman who showed up on Edward Masen's doorstep wearing only red ribbon covering your girly parts. You're telling me you don't have the guts to fight for the one you love?"

"Becca…"

"No." She held her hand up, halting my words. "Go change your clothes, something casual, but attracting. Then you're going to drive to his house and tell him how you feel."

"I think you've seen too many romance movies." I rubbed my forehead. "News flash, Becca. That kind of stuff doesn't happen in real life."

"Honestly, what have you got to lose? At the very least, you'll know." Rebecca held her finger up. "But, if you tell him how you really feel, and he still loves you, then you'll have him back. And the best part, you won't have to hide anymore since you're not with Sam."

Deep down, I knew she was right. If I never told Edward how I felt and found out later that telling him would bring him come back to me, I'd regret it. I knew what I had to do.

~*oOo*~

By the time I left Rebecca's, I was keyed up to confess my love. But the drive from Port Angeles to Forks was long and gave me plenty of time to think and rethink and  _rethink_  my decision.

The sun was down when I finally made it to Edward's place. My heart beat filled the silence, as I stared at his house.

Only his car parked was in front, but that didn't mean the new girlfriend wasn't inside. The last thing I wanted was to interrupt something. That would hurt worse than seeing them together earlier.

_God, what if they were having sex?_

Thinking like that certainly wasn't encouraging me to knock on the door.

I'd driven all the way out there. I had to at least try. My thoughts drifted back to regrets. I'd already regretted letting Edward go. I didn't want to regret not telling him how I felt.

After sitting in the car for ten minutes, I finally rallied up the courage walk to the front door and even found some to knock.

I cracked my knuckles and paced in front of the door. I didn't know what to expect when the door finally creaked open. Maybe his new girlfriend would be there, answering the door in his t-shirt.

_Don't think like that, because that isn't helping._

The air that I held blew out with relief when the door opened. He answered the door dressed in a t-shirt and track pants and his hair rumpled from laying down.

He leaned against the doorjamb and waited for me to speak.

Finally, I said, "Hi, Edward."

"Hello, Leah." His answer was short, but not rude.

"Are you … busy?" In other words,  _are you alone?_

I tried to casually look over his shoulder to make sure he was alone. He moved in my line of sight.

"No. Just here, watching television, by myself." His lips twitched a little. This man could read me like a book. "What's up?"

"Can I come in?" I asked, fiddling with my cuticles. "I promise I'll be quick."

He pushed himself from the doorjamb and waved me inside.

"Thanks."

The door closed behind me. My eyes stayed with Edward as he walked past me to the kitchen. "Do you want something to drink? I think I have some iced tea."

I bit my lip to hide my grin. Iced tea was my drink of choice, and he always had some when I came over. This could be a good sign.

But I needed to concentrate. I was nervous enough without the sugar rush.

"No, thanks."

I looked around the room. Being at his place brought back so many great memories. The most vivid was that dining room table where we'd first made love. I could still feel his hands, holding me as he made the sweetest, most passionate love to me. That was what it was like whenever we were together.

"You said you wanted to talk." Edward broke through my thoughts. He leaned back on the counter with his arms folded, watching me closely.

"Well, I guess I just wanted to clear the air." I began cracking my knuckles, a nervous habit. "God, why is this so hard. I've never been so anxious talking to you before."

He waited patiently, while his mouth formed in a thin line.

"I'm sure you know about Sam and me." I started pacing. "He signed the papers, and I'm free. We're done, Edward. I'm just waiting for the finalized paperwork."

"Jake told me." His expression was stoic, which didn't help my confidence.

"What I mean is that you are the one that I love. I don't know what I thought I was trying to save with Sam, but I'm done with him. You are the one that I want. I've been spending the last two months getting my life back in order, and I wanted nothing more to call you and tell you what's going on with me, how I'm getting my life together. I wanted to hear about yours, too. God, I miss you. I miss your voice. Sometimes I listen to your old messages, just to hear it again. I miss how you sometimes woke me up with kisses on my skin. I miss being in your arms.

"I told myself that you were better off without me, that you'd find someone who was worthy of your love. Then I saw you at Panera Bread with that woman. I knew it was a mistake letting you go, and that no matter where the future takes us, you'll always be in my heart."

He was silent and refused to look at me.

"Say something please." I stepped in front of him to catch his attention. "I'm pouring my heart out to you, and you have nothing to say? At least tell me to leave or go to hell, but don't shut me out! Please!"

Those beautiful green eyes finally found mine. "Are you really done with him?"

"Yes." I touched his cheek. "Sam and I are done. Even if you don't take me back, I'm never going back to him."

He stepped up to me, his eyes watching me with an intense stare. "Do you really mean that?"

"Yes," I said, holding that serious gaze and hoping that it seeps in. "It's you. Only you."

"I missed you too, Leah. When Jacob told me that you left Sam, I wanted to run to you, but then I wondered if you were serious about it." I could see the pain in his expression. "I couldn't stand losing you again, so I figured it would be easier trying to get over you now. It would be ten times worse if you left me again."

"You don't have to worry, because I'm never going back to him, and I won't leave you." I grabbed his face between my hands. "It's you and me, Edward. No more hiding out, no more sneaking around. I just want to be with you, and I don't care who knows it."

"Good, because I'm not sharing you." The warning was clear as day. I couldn't fuck this up again or I'd lose him for good.

"All yours, honey. I'm not going anywhere."

His kiss was so strong, it demanded submission, and I couldn't get enough. But then I remembered something very important. "Wait, wait." I pulled away, but didn't leave the comfort of his embrace. "What about that woman you're dating?"

He crinkled his brow. "What woman?"

"The red haired woman," I said. "The one I saw you with at Panera Bread."

"Oh." A sly smile formed. "We aren't dating. She's a friend of the family. She's moving here with her husband, but she didn't know the area. I was just showing her around."

"You mean you and her aren't…"

He shook his head. "But you're cute when you're jealous."

"I wouldn't say I was jealous," I argued feebly. "I might have been a little envious, but not jealous."

"No, Leah, you were jealous." He smirked. "You probably wanted to come over and demand that she step away from your man or you'd scratch her eyes out." That grin grew even bigger. "Admit it."

Even though I tried to fight it, my smile broke through. He could always find a way to make me laugh. "I'm not admitting anything, because I wasn't jealous."

"Yeah? Then how come it looked like you were going to spit nails." He raised an eyebrow, daring me to deny it. He leaned forward until his lips were inches away from mine. "Do you know what I wanted to do to you when I saw that look? I should make you jealous more often."

"For the last time, I wasn't—" He cut me off with a scorching hot kiss. I didn't have a chance to get upset, because all I was thinking about was where that mouth was going to next.

Things moved pretty fast. I don't even remember all of my clothes being removed, although I remember a few ripping sounds. The next thing I knew, I was on the couch, naked, with him on top of me. His eyes looked deeply into mine as he slowly entered me. It brought an ache so sweet, I shed tears.

"Baby, am I hurting you?" he said, as he kissed my wet cheeks.

"No, Edward. You feel good. You feel right." My back arched, and I held onto to him.

"You feel good too, Leah. I didn't think I'd ever feel you again." He eased my legs around his waist.

His head dropped to mine as he moved, staring at me with so much emotion, and so much love. I knew that this was where I belonged.

My body started to shake, my orgasm looming. I kept my eyes on his for as long as I could, until my body tensed up. Then I exploded with a strangled cry that would normally embarrass me, but not with Edward. With the passion we shared, there was no room for embarrassment.

His movement became erratic, and he came with his own hoarse cry. He held onto me as his hips jerked his release. He collapsed on top of me.

I looked up at him, still feeling the aftershocks of my amazing orgasm. "I love you so much, Edward."

"I love you too, Leah," he breathed into my neck.


	11. Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, this is the end of the road. Just tying up some loose ends and since this story sort of had a soap opera theme, there's a little drama to close things out.
> 
> Disclaimer: All Twilight characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. This twisted alternate universe belongs to me. No copyright infringement is intended. There's no beta, so please forgive my boo boos.

 

**Eleven**

 

**Edward**

"Edward, you have to try this," Leah said, holding piece of fudge to my lips. I took a bite and savored the sweetest piece of chocolate I'd ever tasted. She casually wiped the corner of my mouth with her finger as she waited for my reaction. "It's good, right?" she said and then ate the rest of it.

"It's delicious." I slowly licked my lips. "What is that?"

"Gramma Jane's Famous Fudge." Leah pointed to a white box on the kitchen counter. "Rebecca brought some home from the Food and Wine Festival she was coordinating."

Rebecca's job as an event coordinator for the Port Angeles Convention Center definitely had its perks.

A look of fiery passion flashed in Leah's eyes. "She brought a bunch of it home. I bought some strawberries earlier. Maybe we could melt some of that chocolate over them." Her finger traced down my chest to the buckle of my belt. "You know, when we're not wearing so many clothes."

"Oh, baby." I slipped an arm around her waist. "Who needs the strawberries? Maybe, I could pour it over you. I bet that chocolate would taste  _really_  good then."

She bit her bottom lip and grinned coyly. "Promise?"

"I swear!" Rosalie's voice sounded behind us. "You two seem to forget that you're not alone! There are people in the living room!"

"I don't care," Leah said boldly, grabbing my shirt and planting the sweetest kiss on my lips. "I cannot keep my hands off this man."

My hand eased down to her butt and squeezed. "I'm not going to fight you on that." I leaned in and nibbled on her neck, making her giggle.

"All right, all right!" Rosalie pulled us apart. "Enough of that!" She turned to Leah. "This party is for you, Leah. You'll have plenty of time to screw Edward later."

She pushed Leah through the kitchen door, making sure to stand between us.

"I found them!" Rosalie called out. "They were making out in the kitchen." She took a seat next to her new boyfriend, Demetri. Rosalie said she found him stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire, and he didn't know how to change one. So she did it for him and didn't even break a nail.

"Well, I'm glad you could step away long enough to enjoy your party!" Rebecca said, leaving her husband's side to hug Leah. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Yeah, we all are!" Jacob said from the recliner with Angela perched on his leg.

We were celebrating Leah's new position at the University of Washington's Port Angeles campus. She'd gotten the job as an adjunct professor. Even better news, one of the professors couldn't teach during the summer, so she didn't have to wait until the fall to start.

To celebrate, Rebecca invited Jacob and Angela as well as Rosalie and Demetri. Since Rosalie was allergic to dogs, Sarabi and Mufusa were confined in the den, but Rebecca and Kyle would check on them every now and then.

We sat on the loveseat, my arm around her shoulders holding her close.

"So, what are you going to do next?" Angela asked from Jacob's lap.

Leah looked up at me. "Well, I'm looking for my own place." She looked out at everyone else and squeezed my leg.

There was an awkward silence that followed. I'd hoped that Leah and I would be able to find a place of our own. Apparently, everyone else thought the same thing. It wasn't an exaggeration that we couldn't keep our hands off each other.

But Leah said she needed to do things on her own for a while. It didn't mean that she didn't love me, but she'd been living with Sam for years, and she needed to prove to herself that she could do this alone if she had to.

Part of me was disappointed, but a bigger part of me was proud. This was the strong, independent woman that I loved. There probably wouldn't be too many nights when we wouldn't be sleeping in each other's arms anyway.

I cleared my throat. "Tomorrow, we're going to look at some apartments. Alice said there are some really great ones near the university."

"Well, that's good." Rosalie offered an encouraging smile.

Leah smiled and looked around the room. "Thank you, all of you!" Her eyes shined with tears. "I went through a tough time, and I wouldn't have made it without you."

"You'd do the same for us, Leah," Rebecca said. "This is what we do for the people we love."

"And we love you." I tilted her head up to kiss her.

While the women the room "awed", Jacob muttered to Angela, "Geez, were we like that?"

"What do you mean, 'were'?" Rebecca cut in. "You're just as bad as they are."

Jacob looked up at Angela who was sitting on his lap with a guilty grin. "Yeah, you're probably right." With that, he kissed his wife. She protested a little, but not enough to get him to stop.

"Well, if you can't beat 'em…" Rosalie grabbed Demetri's shirt and kissed him too. He was surprised, but it was obvious that he enjoyed it.

"Okay, okay, stop!" Rebecca exclaimed, holding her hands up. "I swear. You guys are hornier than teenagers!" She looked at her husband. "Don't you get any funny ideas, mister. You'll get what's coming to you later on tonight."

"I'd better," Kyle said in a low voice. "I've been away from my wife for days, and I'm going through withdrawal."

Everyone laughed.

"My mother finally agreed to a date with Charlie," Leah said. "He's been waiting for years, and she finally said yes to him."

"Yeah, I heard," Rosalie said. "That would explain why the chief is in such a good mood. He's got his new chief deputy, and he's dating the one who got away." Rosalie looked at me. "Tell your father congratulations, by the way."

Edward Masen, Sr and I didn't get along, but I was still happy for him. "He deserves it," I said. "I think that's why Joshua resigned."

"No." Rosalie shook her head. "Joshua was  _asked_  to resign."

"How do you know this?" Leah said, narrowing her eyes.

"Lauren Mallory is one of the biggest gossips at the police station, especially after she'd had too many Long Island Iced Teas. She said that Chief Swan was leaning toward your father for a while. There were little red flags about Joshua's integrity and morals."

"Why was Joshua asked to step down?"

"Because he was sleeping with his assistant."

"What!" everyone said together.

"With Emily?" Leah exclaimed.

"Yep, and they were doing it everywhere, his office, his company car, his condo. And it gets better." Rosalie leaned in. "Emily's pregnant." While everyone's mouth dropped open, she continued. "And here's the kicker. Since she was also sleeping with Sam, she's not sure who the father is."

"So Sam's having a child or a sibling?" Jacob scratched his head.

"Yep. Apparently, Joshua wanted to take care of things, but Emily wants to keep the baby. So that means one of them has to step up. When the chief found out, he was furious. But seeing as Joshua was with the force for so long, he let him resign. That way he kept some of his benefits. He'll need it for the child support if they find out this child is his. As far as his career, he's done. No upstanding law enforcement agency will touch him. Maybe he could get a job in the private sector."

"Haven't they heard of birth control?" Rebecca interjected.

"In the heat of the moment, I don't think they were thinking with the right head." Rosalie pointed to her temple. "Lauren thinks that Emily was in love with Joshua, so she was hoping to have his baby. Maybe that would get him to finally leave Allison."

"Guess that didn't work," Leah muttered.

"It did in a way. Allison is divorcing him, and she's asking for alimony."

"What about Emily?" Leah asked.

"He doesn't want anything to do with Emily."

"How did the chief find out about this?" I asked.

"They forgot to lock the door." Rosalie laughed. "Jessica Stanley, the chief's assistant, dropped by to give Joshua some paperwork, and she caught them in the act. She went straight to the chief. There was an internal investigation, and witnesses were questioned. Everyone knew that Joshua was sleeping around on his wife. Hell, even Allison knew, and she was pissed. Knowing that her son and her husband both slept with the same woman was enough to make her sick."

"Is Emily still working there?" Leah asked.

Rosalie shook her head. "Since she wasn't there for a long time, she's not getting the same severance as Joshua. The chief let her have the money for her vacation time, so that's something. What's worse is that neither Joshua nor Sam will step up without a fight. They just keep blaming each other."

"But a child is at stake!" Angela said. "I can only hope that once the child is born, they'll at least come together for the baby. It's not the child's fault they were irresponsible. It's time to take responsibility. If Emily doesn't want to give the child up for adoption or have an abortion, then it's time to man up! One of them needs to step up." Angela looked around the room and blushed. "I'm sorry. I get on my soapbox when it comes to the life of a child. There are just so many kids out there without homes because of situations like these."

"It's okay, honey. I love it when you get on your soapbox." Jacob smiled. "It's sexy." He nuzzled her in the crook of her neck.

"And here we are back to the orgy." Rebecca rolled her eyes.

~*oOo*~

**Leah**

"This one looks nice," Edward said from the bed.

He was laying on my bed, shirtless with his glasses on. God, he looked so hot with those things on; sort of like a really, really hot Clark Kent. His laptop rested on his legs, the light reflecting in his glasses.

"Come look!" he said.

I hurried over to the bed and crawled underneath the blanket next to him.

"It's two bedrooms, so you can make one an office, and it has a nice patio." Edward pointed at the floor plan. "And there's a park nearby where you can run."

"It's nice, Edward and only about fifteen minutes from campus."

He pulled out his notepad. "I'll put it on the list for tomorrow."

I stared at him and sighed. The love I had for this man was almost too much for me to contain. To think, he was right in front of me for years, and I didn't see him.

"Thank you, Edward." I ran my fingernails down the back of his neck.

"For what?" he said, as he scribbled on the notepad.

I put my hand over his to still his writing. "Thank you for understanding why I have to do this alone." He slowly looked up at me and pulled off his glasses. "I know that you wanted me to move in with you, but I need to do this on my own first." I looked away. "And, I don't want to rush things. I rushed things with Sam, and I think that's one reason we didn't make it." I laughed. "That and he couldn't keep his dick in his pants."

"And there's that," Edward quipped.

"Seriously, thank you."

His lips curved lightly in a smile. "I won't lie, honey. I wanted you to move in with me." His hand cupped my cheek. "But I see how important this is for you. You need to do this for you, and I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere. And FYI, my dick only comes out for you."

I leaned down and kissed him with everything I had. "I love you, Edward. So much."

"I love you too, Leah." Edward shut his laptop and stared at me. "We have a busy day tomorrow. We should get some rest."

"You're right." I took the laptop from him and placed it on the nightstand. "And you know how I get the best sleep?"

"How?" He raised an eyebrow.

I crawled on top of him, and his hands perched on my hips. I could feel his arousal steadily growing beneath me. "It helps when you make sweet, passionate love to me." I leaned in and nibbled on his lip. "That's when I get the best sleep."

"Well, it's a dirty job, but someone has to do it." He twisted me around until I was on my back and trailed kisses down my neck. His erection hit me in just the right place. "See, he only comes out for you."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hope you enjoyed this. It was fun to write. Some of you have asked if I hate Emily. I don't. I do, however, think she chose Sam over Leah and expecting Leah to just get over it and be happy for them was asking too much. Making her stand next to Emily while they get married was the last straw. Besides, I liked that Leah had a moment to say what she really felt. She didn't (and probably won't) get that moment in the series. And yes, it was fun writing Emily as a villain. :)


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